GOP lawmaker apologizes for HB477 vote, saying he feared retaliation

"They voted for it first and then the second time, they didn't," the speaker said. "You'd have to talk to them specifically about what their reasons were that they changed their votes. There was no pressure brought to bear by me on any member on this issue."

Lockhart, who was in her office Monday working to identify candidates for the interim study committee that will work to address the concerns about HB477 over the next three months, admitted she is frustrated that outcry over the bill has overshadowed all the good work lawmakers did this session. She also said she would willingly meet with Powell to talk about his concerns.

"It's unfortunate that he felt that that process didn't live up to his expectations," Lockhart said. "If he'd like to express his concerns to me about how he felt about the process, I'm more than happy to listen to those concerns."

e-mail: geoff@ubstandard.com

Twitter: GeoffLiesik