Rep. Curry Todd of Collierville remains the chairman of the State and Local Government Committee, despite the uproar he caused last year by likening pregnant illegal immigrants to multiplying rats. Harwell has said he has made sufficient apologies for the remark. House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick of Chattanooga said new assignments within the panel could give efforts to allow wine to be sold in supermarkets a better chance than in previous years. "It definitely wasn't getting a fair hearing before - the committee was stacked to make sure it didn't," McCormick said. "You'll have a more open-minded attitude about it now. It may not pass, but we'll look at it in a serious way."

Tennessee Democratic Party Chairman Chip Forrester recently criticized Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey for trying to eliminate the Tennessee Ethics Commission. Ramsey supports House Bill 506, sponsored by Rep. Curry Todd (R-Collierville), which would dismantle the Tennessee Ethics Commission and transfer its duties to the Registry of Election Finance. “This is just another excellent example of why Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey has no business running for governor,” Forrester said. “Shifting the duties of the Ethics Commission to the Registry of Election Finance shows that ethics enforcement is not a priority for Lt. Gov. Ramsey and the Tennessee Republican Party.”