GOP Plans for State Legislature

For the first time in 140 years the Republicans will control Tennessee's House and Senate. Now that Tuesday has come and gone GOP state legislators say they are getting to work

Republicans haven't been the majority in many years on Tuesday they won the Senate 19-14 and the House 50-49.

It's a first since the reconstruction the GOP will control both the state House and Senate. Today we asked Representative Eric Watson what republicans plan to focus on first.

"This upcoming year is going to be rough on Tennessee due to the budget shortfall. But a lot of that due to the mismanagement of the governor," says Representative Eric Watson.

Watson says after clearing up the state's 600 million dollar deficit they pass legislation they believe is long overdue.

One focus will be to give citizens the right to carry guns in state parks, another is lowering taxes for fuel.

Watson says one of the first issues on the agenda is passing a bill to require parental consent for girls under 18 to have an abortion.

"If we require consent for your kids to take a pill in school parents should be involved in a procedure like an abortion," says Watson.

Watson says another issue will be to change school superintendent positions so they are elected and not appointed. In his district he will continue construction projects going on in Meigs, Polk and Bradley County. 

We asked Democratic Senator Andy Berke what he thinks of the plan. He says while those issues are important...others need immediate attention.

"I understand that there are some republicans who want to talk about these social issues. We will certainly do that but I think for most people they want to know am I going to have a job tomorrow, is my kid going to have better access to education and am I going to have access to healthcare," says Tennessee Senator Andy Berke.

Watson says on January 15th Republicans will take over offices and will also vote on speaker of the House. Republicans will also take over all county election directors including Hamilton County.