Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and the state Senate’s two new top leaders said Monday that they are moving ahead as a “united front,” effectively ending a more than two-year feud in the chamber that affected how it did the public’s business.
Cagle, Senate Pro Tem-elect David Shafer, R-Duluth, and Senate Majority Leader-elect Ronnie Chance, R-Tyrone, all promised that their new partnership would result in a smoother session of the General Assembly. The session starts Jan. 14.
“I think you’re going to see the Senate take a very strong role,” Cagle said. “There’s going to be this united front that really strengthens the hands of the Senate.”
The Senate’s majority Republican caucus has agreed to emphasize issues including workforce development and jobs. Cagle also said to expect some kind of action on proposed ethics reforms early in the session.
The feud in the chamber began in earnest in late 2010, led by then-Senate Majority Leader Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, and then-Senate President Pro Tem Tommie Williams, R-Lyons.
Backed by a majority of the Senate, they took control of the chamber’s decision-making process —- including committee assignments. The move effectively froze out Cagle, relegating him to a more ceremonial role in a chamber over which he traditionally presided.
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