Influential in the landmark FOCUS Act, that changed how four-year public universities are governed by the state, the new Chair of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus, Ryan Williams, who represents District 42, now fills one of the highest leadership positions in the House.
However, Williams’ controversies began in the first few weeks of his leadership role when he banned media members from caucus meetings. His reason for doing so what that he felt caucuses should be free to discuss issues only between caucus members. He also views his position as “it might be a lot more officiating than anything”.
A rank-and-file Republican for the first six years of his State Legislature career, Williams refers to House Speaker Beth Harwell, a potential candidate for Governor in 2018, as, “The leader of the band”. Harwell will have her hands full trying to unite a some times fragmented House Republican Caucus.
Causes Williams has championed include sponsoring legislation to prevent prescription drug abuse. In his position as the Chair of the Republican Caucus, policy strategy, raising money for the Republican party, and coordinating support or opposition to measures brought before the House will be Williams’ main responsibilities.
Williams’ desires include raising the gas tax, which is considered the biggest issue of the session. He also wants to establish a tax on internet sales and grow the Republican’s majority in the House.
In this capacity, Williams has stated, “In some ways, the caucus, is quite frankly, blindly trusting me to reestablish things they were always familiar with that I only knew for a year or two.”
Away from the political side of the House, where he occasionally wears a wooden bowtie, the Blountville native considers himself to be “just an employee”. Essentially, he is a Salesman for J&S Construction in Cookeville, a region that is popularly referred to as “The Hub of the Upper Cumberlands”.
Officially, Williams is the Director of Business Development for the company. There, he prepares proposals on building projects for a wide variety of causes including landscapes, airport hangars, homes, churches, and Fortune 500 companies.
How will Ryan Williams perform in his new role as the Chair of the Tennessee House Republican Caucus? Time will indeed tell.
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***Brett Matthew West is a Nashvillian and a long time Freelance Writer. His myriad of feature articles have been published in a vast array of newspapers and magazines around the United States. He also possesses an extensive online presence for his Short Stories.***
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