From 13wmaz.com:

Twiggs County State Rep. James “Bubber” Epps is the latest Georgia legislator to switch from the Democratic to the Republican party.

Speaking by phone from Athens, Epps said Monday that he’s joining the Republican caucus in the General Assembly.

He said he’ll be better able to help the district, in a house dominated by Republicans and controlled by Republican leadership.

“I think it will give me a seat at the table,” he said.

“My major roll is to position myself where I can best serve my constituents,” he said. “I have to be in the best position possible to bring back what can I can for the district.”

Epps noted that only five bills from the Democratic caucus made it through the legislature to become law this year.

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Folks are lining up for the appointment to the senate seat held by Secretary of State Elect Jon Husted:

From Dayton Daily News:

State Reps. Peggy Lehner, R-Kettering, and Seth Morgan, R-Huber Heights, and their supporters have mounted contrasting efforts to win the seat representing the 6th District, which includes most of the Montgomery County suburbs.

Lehner has assembled a portfolio of recommendations from top area government, business, education and health care leaders.

Morgan backers, meanwhile, launched an online petition drive that by Friday had picked up signatures from 498 people across the state. Morgan also provided Senate Republicans with a letter of support signed by leading Ohio social conservatives.

Two other candidates for the seat also are widely known among county Republicans. Dr. David Westbrock, a physician from Washington Twp., twice has run unsuccessfully for the U.S. House and is a vice chairman of the county Republican Party.

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Yet ANOTHER Democrat has decided his party has failed him. This moves Texas ever so close to the 2/3 Majority mark in the Texas House.

From Statesman.com:

State Rep. Allan Ritter of Nederland said Saturday that he will leave the Democratic Party and become a Republican, probably giving the GOP a two-thirds majority in the Texas House.

He may not be the last one. Democratic Rep. Aaron Peña of Edinburg hinted Saturday about making the switch to the GOP.

Ritter would be the 99th Republican in the 150-member House. The seat last held by Republican Edmund Kuempel of Seguin, who died last month, is likely to stay in GOP hands, which means two-thirds of the members of the House would be Republicans. The party would be able to pass a constitutional amendment and take money out of the state’s rainy day fund without any Democratic votes.

Ritter, whose district is in the Beaumont area, did not have a Republican challenger this year. Others who fit his profile — moderate to conservative, white Democrats from rural areas and mid-size towns — got swept away in the November elections, and Ritter could well have lost if the GOP had challenged him.

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From CharlotteObserver.com:

The new Republican majority in the North Carolina House has chosen Ruth Samuelson as majority whip.

The Mecklenburg County representative was chosen Saturday by the House Republican Caucus during a retreat in Hickory.

Last month, the caucus chose Rep. Thom Tillis of Mecklenburg County as their nominee to become the next speaker of the North Carolina House and Paul Stam of Wake County as the next majority leader.

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Republicans are now filing legislation that would ban insurance mandates that are included in the health care bill. Expect fights like this to spread across the country.

From kspr.com:

Legislation filed by a pair of Republican lawmakers in Arkansas proposes blocking a portion of the health care overhaul that requires people to buy health insurance.

Rep.-elect David Meeks and Sen. Denny Altes on Wednesday proposed prohibiting any laws or rules that would require someone to purchase health insurance and would penalize people who don’t buy insurance. Meeks is from Conway and Altes will be a state representative from Fort Smith in next year’s session.

The federal health care law requires most Americans to carry health insurance — through an employer, a government program, or by buying their own policy. The federal health care insurance mandate does not take effect until 2014.

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Now a State Senator, this longtime Democrat is fed up with his party in Washington. The Democrat exodus continues.

From nola.com:

BATON ROUGE – State Sen. John Alario, a former two-time House speaker and a fixture in state politics for nearly four decades, is now a Republican.

After weeks of saying he was likely to abandon his Democratic allegiance by the end of the year, Alario quietly made it official late last week.

“I just casually went in and took care of it,” Alario, of Westwego, said. “I had been pondering it for some time and didn’t want to make a big deal of it.”

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From wgnsradio.com:

Ketron was first elected to the General Assembly in 2002 and has won re-election to two additional terms of office. He is currently Chairman of the Senate State and Local Government Committee, as well as serving as Deputy Speaker.

“Senator Ketron has done an outstanding job and will do a great job as Caucus Chairman,” said Senator Tracy (R-Shelbyville), who nominated him for the position.

In other positions elected by the Caucus, Lt. Governor Ron Ramsey (R-Blountville) was re-elected as the Caucus nominee for Senate Speaker, Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville) was re-elected Majority Leader, Senator Bo Watson (R-Chattanooga) was elected as Floor Leader, Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) was re-elected Secretary, Senator Mae Beavers (R-Mt. Juliet) was re-elected Treasurer and Senator Steve Southerland (R-Morristown) was re-elected Chaplain.

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From Quad-City Times:

House Speaker-elect Kraig Paulsen said Wednesday he expects there will be fewer state agencies and government programs on the books after the 2011 legislative session is completed next spring.

He said likely casualties will be the Iowa Power Fund and the Grow Iowa Values Fund that were the creations of Democratic governors. Other areas of state government likely will be on the chopping block as well as lawmakers wrestle with ways to bring spending in line with revenue.

“You should expect us to make some tough choices,” Paulsen told a Des Moines Partnership lunch crowd.

“I think you’re going to see us just wholesale eliminate a couple difference programs and a couple different offices, and we’re going to start with those that have marginal or no benefit.”

Paulsen, who will lead a 60-member GOP majority in the House when the 84th General Assembly convenes Jan. 10, said he does not expect the Iowa Legislature to reauthorize outgoing Gov. Chet Culver’s Power Fund because program managers have been unable to specify how many jobs have been created by the state’s $100 million investment over the past four years.

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