More than two weeks after announcing he would resign from his leadership position, House Speaker Glen Casada on Tuesday said he would step down effective Aug. 2.

Casada will turn 60 that day.

Following a meeting with House Republican leadership Tuesday afternoon, Casada said in addition to resigning from his role as speaker in two months, he will ask Gov. Bill Lee to call a special session.

Such a special session would likely cost taxpayers upwards of $25,000 a day.

In a statement Tuesday, Lee declined to commit to calling a special session, saying instead that his office would remain in contact with House leadership.

The speaker's latest announcement comes more than four weeks after The Tennessean reported Casada and Cade Cothren, his now-former chief of staff, had exchanged sexually explicit text messages.

Cothren also sent text messages soliciting sexual acts from a legislative intern and lobbyist, as well as admitting to having used cocaine in the legislative office building.

In an earlier story, NewsChannel 5 reported that Cothren had used a racial slur and other derogatory comments about African Americans, as well as bragged about drug use at the legislature.

Casada initially stood by Cothren, his 32-year-old longtime aide who resigned May 6 making nearly $200,000 annual salary.

Since then, Casada faced calls for his resignation, culminating in a vote of no confidence from the House Republican Caucus on May 21.

Casada requests special session to elect new speaker

In a letter sent to members of the General Assembly on Tuesday, Casada said he was requesting that the special session be held on Aug. 2 for the House of Representatives to elect a new speaker.

During Tuesday's hour-long meeting, which included House Majority Leader William Lamberth, House GOP caucus chairman Cameron Sexton, Speaker Pro Tempore Bill Dunn and Deputy Speaker Matthew Hill, Casada was told his August resignation date might be too far away.

Sexton said he told Casada members of the House Republican caucus "wanted to do something sooner rather than later."

Several members expressed frustrations after Casada announced the resignation date.

Rep. Sam Whitson, R-Franklin, called Casada's decisions unacceptable. "If he is not able to serve as speaker after Aug. 2, then he is not able to serve as speaker today."

Lamberth, R-Portland, said he still stood by his comments last week that he would like Casada to resign and Lee to call a special session by the end of June.

But Lamberth noted "legally speaking, it is questionable whether or not we can even remove a speaker."

"We all shared with him that we prefer it be sooner," Lamberth said. "But at the same time respect the fact that he is the sitting speaker."

Holt Whitt, director of policy for the speaker's office, said Casada's delayed resignation date was part of an effort to provide enough time for members to decide who will be the chamber’s next leader.

Lamberth said the caucus would likely have one, if not two, meetings ahead of a special session in order to vote on a nominee for speaker. Depending on whether a current member of leadership received the nomination, the caucus may also have to fill in another leadership post as part of the transition.

During the special session, Lamberth said, the House would likely take up at least one piece of legislation as the primary reason for returning to the statehouse. They would then handle the speaker election as a secondary matter.

While it's unclear what that legislation would be, Lamberth said updates to state civil, criminal and juvenile court rules could be the bills taken up.

Casada announces resignation date soon after returning from Europe

Casada returned to the office Monday after a trip to Greece, at which time talks began with caucus leadership about the Franklin Republican's transition plan.

In a statement before he resigned, Casada said he would "help facilitate a smooth transition" in House leadership. He clarified he would not resign from his legislative seat — a point Whitt, Casada's aide, reiterated Tuesday.

During a specially called meeting May 20, the House Republican Caucus voted 45-24 that it no longer had confidence in Casada's leadership.

Lee and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, were among the Republican leaders who ultimately called for Casada to step down.

While Lamberth said last week he believed the governor should call a special session this month for the House to elect a new speaker, Lee's office says it has no plans to do so.

Casada, who had been employed since 2012 as an animal pharmaceutical salesman for Merck, resigned last month from his job at the large drug company.

As House speaker, Casada makes roughly $73,000 annually from the state, a salary three times that of other representatives.

And as long as Casada remains as speaker, he can continue to make financial decisions that have implications on Tennessee taxpayers.

Taxpayers paid $46,000 to renovate the speaker's office and Casada spent nearly $8,000 to use a state plane, including one trip that came on the same day he attended a political dinner.

Although Casada said Tuesday he wanted Lee to call a special session, the governor said earlier in the day he had no intention of immediately doing so. But Lee left open the possibility of a special session when he said he would consider it if the House wanted one.

In his statement Tuesday evening, Lee declined to say whether he would oblige.

"Now that the speaker has announced his intended timeline, we will continue to be in close communication with House leadership and members to determine the best outcome for the House and for Tennessee," Lee said.

In the past, special sessions have cost in excess of $25,000 a day. A three-day special session in 2016 cost taxpayers about $72,500.

A three-day 2015 legislative session dedicated to considering expanding Medicaid cost taxpayers nearly $78,600.

Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.

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