A colleague of state Rep. Jeremy Durham is considering creating a third party over House Speaker Beth Harwell's public statements about the embattled lawmaker.
Local reports said that Rep. Rick Womick is demanding Harwell give a full explanation of why she had the Legislature's human resources chief discuss "appropriate behavior" with Durham.
Womick says without that evidence, he will lead a split in the Republican caucus. Womick is a longtime Harwell critic, who was defeated on a 57-15 vote in his bid to replace her as speaker last year.
Republicans have scheduled a Jan. 12 vote about whether to replace Durham as majority whip following revelations he was once investigated by a drug task force and wrote a letter on behalf of a pastor convicted of child porn possession.
Posted
Scripps Only Content 2015
