Here is why Glen Casada is functioning yet again for Tennessee Property
On a sunny September morning, Rep. Glen Casada headed out to dot point out Home District 63 with his navy and white yard signs.
Halting in at Einstein Bros. Bagels for a split, Casada wanted to discuss about his political long term through the up coming two many years.
Because 2001, Casada has held the seat in the district, which stretches from Franklin to Nolensville and south into Thompson’s Station. But this campaign time is just not without opposition. He has two people today jogging in opposition to him: Democrat Elizabeth Madeira and unbiased Brad Fiscus.
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Seeking ahead if re-elected, his very first precedence will be evaluating the redistricting procedure in 2021 soon after the 2020 census goes into influence.
“I want to make certain in Williamson County, we get a fourth Dwelling seat,” the Franklin Republican said. “It is going to be close, and I think that I can do that. It would substantially raise our voice by 25%.”
He explained he also desired to emphasis on rural broadband in parts of his district that do not have possibilities, together with Flat Creek, Bethesda and sections of School Grove. Most just lately, 295 properties in Williamson County gained obtain to fiber growth via the Tennessee Crisis Broadband Fund.
“I have gotten the condition to give a substantial quantity of money to providers, and in two several years, I want to proceed,” Casada explained. “That’s top priority. Gov. (Bill) Lee’s a major proponent of broadband, and I am likely to maintain asking for it in my district. Gov. Lee has been a terrific aid. I want to give him comprehensive credit rating.”
Casada additional that he also preferred to continue championing charges that associated training financial savings accounts, or vouchers, in the long run. He said he believed rural components of the point out have been getting remaining at the rear of.
“What we are undertaking now for the rural and poor areas of the condition is not working,” he explained. “I am a robust proponent for students trapped in perilous educational facilities and supplying them an option to go to faculties that are effective. If they are succeeding, let us depart them on your own. We can not turn our back on children in substandard situations. I am open to what is performing in the other areas of the country and the entire world for all those to trapped in these dangerous universities.”
Casada’s historical past
Casada’s political everyday living has been sophisticated the past five many years, from wanting to have the Tennessee National Guard round up Syrian refugees to supporting ousted Rep. Jeremy Durham until eventually marketing campaign finance infractions further deteriorated Durham’s 2016 key run.
Casada’s biggest shake-up occurred when he rose to Speaker of the Home in 2019. He left the situation soon after only months, when a scandal involving racist and sexist textual content messages embroiled him and his personnel. His voucher initiative also acquired scrutiny when lawmakers claimed he made available them incentives to vote in favor of schooling financial savings accounts.
But Casada said that was fully “guiding him” in his latest political endeavors, noting he didn’t have any present ambitions to climb back again up the leadership ladder.
“All people does items that they regret,” he explained. “I have requested for forgiveness. Those people who want to forgive me will do so, and those who would not I are not able to do nearly anything about.”
In 2020, Casada has been rather muted, only presenting payments in the legislature that associated driving under the affect lists on the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation internet site and making certain that schools install engineering on their computers to filter or block inappropriate web-sites.
While he’s not fundraised as robustly as in years past, Casada still has $368,642. In accordance to his campaign finance disclosures, Casada paid out $10,500 from CAS-PAC, his political action committee, for a not long ago levied fine by the Tennessee Registry of Election Finance. Casada apologized and vowed to retain greater records before the registry levied the penalty against him on July 9.
From July 2020:Previous House Speaker Glen Casada pays $10,500 great with cash from political action committee
From June 2020:Audits: Glen Casada unsuccessful to report contributions, continue to keep expense receipts
Extra:See the place Williamson County legislators have gotten almost $1 million in marketing campaign donations
Casada, who has also beforehand served as Greater part Leader, said the Republican leadership has been mainly productive in a Property chambers dominated by conservatism.
“We, operating with the Republican governors and Senate, have developed a state that’s 1 of the most affluent states in the country,” Casada mentioned. “Doing work with the Republicans in the legislature, we’ve created an surroundings where taxes are low, and the final result is that Tennessee is 1 of the fastest growing in work development. And to feel it was toward the bottom 20 decades back, it’s a paradigm transform. The legislature is like lifetime. It’s constantly just one phase forward, two actions again.”
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Joel Ebert contributed to this tale.
Emily West is a reporter for The Tennessean, covering Franklin and Williamson County. You can achieve her on Twitter @emwest22 or electronic mail her at [email protected].
