N.C. speaker-elect test drives gavel

Yesterday at the N.C. State Capitol, Speaker of the House to be Thom Tillis and a few of his lieutenants ran through some of the protocol they'll face Jan. 26, when the new legislative session opens.

There are a lot of rules governing the flow of business on the House floor, and you don't want to look dumb on your first day because you don't know the proper way to do all the little things that go with chairing debates, overseeing motions, referring things to committee, etc.

So Principal Clerk Denise Weeks writes up a script - with specifics built in to test the new speaker - and he practices. It was interesting ... in that mildly interesting way these things so often are. Any way, pictures from yesterday below.

Former legislator Charles Thomas, who is on Tillis' transition team, and Freshman Republican Leader Justin Burr, R-Stanly Co., also participated.

















































Images: Speaker-elect Tillis, Tillis with Weeks, Tillis with Speaker Pro Tem elect Dale Folwell, Folwell on the House floor.