"If he's available I think he'd be great for us," Kilgore said."He'd be a great asset because he knows the region, and he's a former banker and JLARC said we need more follow-up so he'd be a perfect fit for us."

Kilgore said the issue of Puckett's employment could come up at the Tobacco Commission's next meeting, which is scheduled for Wednesday. That schedule could change, however, if lawmakers are called back into session in Richmond to take up the budget.

Kilgore said he believed the difficulty in Puckett's daughter, Martha P. Ketron, gaining Senate approval for a judicial appointment given his status as a sitting senator "played a big role" in his decision to resign.

"Martha is fantastic, and I think he would hate to see her lose that opportunity, becaus she has done such a good job," said Kilgore.

But Kilgore refused to speculate as to whether Puckett had cut a deal with Senate Republicans to tender his resignation at this time -- a move that effectively enables Senate Republicans to take control of the chamber from Democrats, who had been holding onto the budget as leverage to win the inclusion of Medicaid in the spending plan.

"I don't know what goes on over there," he said. "For me to predict what's going on over in the Senate would be way out of line."