Harbison resigns from committee chairmanship

ATLANTA - The chairman of the Legislative Black Caucus resigned as head of a Senate committee after fellow senators criticized his appointment. <br> <br> Senator Ed Harbison -- a Democrat from Columbus -- stepped down as the Senate Interstate Cooperation Committee chair Thursday when other members of the caucus called his appointment an insult to minorities. <br> <br> Senator Nadine Thomas -- a Democrat from Ellenwood -- said Harbison&#39;s appointment was disrespectful to minorities. <br> <br> Harbison told The Columbus Ledger-Enquirer that he resigned to end the protests. <br> <br> Republican Senator Eric Johnson of Savannah was elected Monday as the first Republican president pro tem in more than 130 years. He says Harbison&#39;s resignation was unfortunate and disappointing. <br> <br> Four senators who are members of the Black Caucus countered Johnson by saying appointment should be based on merit and not what they called tokenism.