JJ asks if Lt. Guv's leadership is now in question following redistricting fiasco

Redistricting: Phil Bryant's albatross or just a small bump?

Negligence? What exactly do you mean, Kingfish? Simple. Mr. Bryant appoints the committee chairman. That is one of the perks of being a Lieutenant Governor. He could have made it real clear to Mr. Burton what was expected of him. He probably could have solved the lame duck problem by obtaining support from Billy Hewes and Tate Reeves to tell him regardless of who succeeded Mr. Bryant, the winner will hold him accountable. If Mr. Bryant was a leader in the mold of say, Buddy Newman, the plan would have already been drawn up and handed to Burton with the orders "Here it is, hold your hearings, make your findings, then produce this map." Mr. Bryant and his represen-tatives could have been involved with the drawing up of the plan from the beginning, thus ensuring a more favorable outcome. A committee chairman ignoring a leader of his chamber in such a manner would have never happened under Newman, Tim Ford, Brad Dye, or even Amy Tuck....... or Sillers.


However, Mr. Bryant did none of these things. He handed the ball off to a bi-partisan committee, ignored its work, then discovered too late the committee drew a map that not only did he not like but one that would also cause problems for him in his own party. Mr. Burton and his committee completely blew off the Lieutenant Governor and did an end run around him as the Burton-Bryan plan passed the Senate. Mr. Bryant is undoubtedly hoping to save face in a conference committee scrum where the whole redistricting mess will eventually land. The defining moment took place during the debate: Democrats praised the plan from the floor of the Senate while only a few Republicans meekly opposed it.

More than a few Republican insiders are questioning Mr. Bryant's ability to lead or even count votes. The most common statement made last week about the redistricting mess was "How can Mr. Bryant deal with the legislature as Governor when he can't even control it as Lieutenant Governor" or "Does he even know what is going on in his own chamber?" Serious questions. The Lieutenant Governor enjoys much more power over the legislature than does the Governor. Barbour's legislative success is due to three things: His ability to use the special session rules in his favor, the use of the Senate to counteract the House, and is ability to count votes (which in turn depends on knowing everything that goes on in the legislature). Governor Musgrove found out how weak the office really is despite being a former Senator, former Lieutenant Governor, and Democrat as the legislature repeatedly ran roughshod over him. Mr. Bryant looked more like Mr. Musgrove last week than he did Mr. Musgrove's successor.

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