Ah, change we can believe in Tennessee.  From The Tennessean:

As the 106th General Assembly convenes at noon today, there will be the customary backslaps and handshakes, as well as the stories and pranks, that accompany the giddy start of every legislative session.

But one thing will be different this year: Republicans will be in charge of both chambers, a historic shift that will bring many changes to the legislature, particularly in the House, where everything from committee chairmanships to lawmakers’ offices is likely to turn over.

Probably the biggest, and most closely watched, transformation will be the expected switch in who holds the speaker’s gavel, which Jimmy Naifeh of Covington has held tightly since 1991, making him the longest-serving House speaker in Tennessee.

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