at the mercy of what the governor's staff chose to tell them and in many ways were often something of a "rubber stamp." Speaker of the House The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House. The Speaker is elected to a two-year term at the beginning of the 1st half of each session of the Tennessee General Assembly. Additionally, the Speaker is second in line for succession to the governorship, after the Speaker of the Senate, in the event of such need. The Speaker appoints members to all committees as well. Even though the Speaker does not have to make committee assignments proportional to the party composition, usually that discretion is used when determining such. Usually, consideration of the abilities, preferences, party representation, and seniority of the members are taken into account. The chairperson, vice chairperson, and secretary of each committee also are chosen by the Speaker and must be given the same considerations in their selection. The Speaker is a voting member of all standing committees of the House, as is the Speaker pro Tempore. The Speaker also serves as co-chairperson of the Joint Legislative Services Committee and must approve, in concurrence with the Speaker of the Senate, the directors of the offices of Legislative Information Services, Legal Services, Legislative Administration, and Legislative Budget Analysis. Additionally, the Speaker is in charge of all facilities, professional and clerical staff, and custodians and security personnel of the House. The current speaker is Cameron Sexton, who represents Tennessee's 25th district. Composition of the 113th General Assembly (2022- present) Officers Speaker of the House: Cameron Sexton (R) Speaker Pro Tempore: Pat Marsh (R) Deputy Speaker: Curtis Johnson (R) Members as of 2023 House Committees Committees, subcommittees, and their leadership for the 112th General Assembly are as follows: Education level among members Among Republicans, around 30% of all members hold no degree beyond high school completion, less than 20% hold a Master's or other post baccalaureate degree, and less than 10% have a law degree. Among Democrats, of whom there are a substantially lower number, 15% hold no degree beyond high school, around 30% hold a Master's or other post baccalaureate degree, and 25% have a law degree. Diversity among Representatives November 2020 saw the election of first openly LGBT+ people ever to hold seats in Tennessee's state house of representatives, Democrat Torrey Harris and Republican Eddie Mannis.