McCoy must broker peace in the House

The Hattiesburg American Editorial, 1/14/8

The idea that “four more years” of House Speaker Billy McCoy’s leadership in the House is in some manner unprecedented or onerous is one that ignores more than a century of Mississippi’s history.

The names are legendary in the state’s political history — some famous, some infamous. But the post of speaker of the Mississippi House of Representatives is one that has evolved from a launching pad for gubernatorial aspirations to one of genuine power in its own right.

While the increased partisanship of state government at all levels has changed the political landscape on which a House speaker operates, McCoy’s tenure has been short in comparison to some of his predecessors.