On Monday, during an already heated House floor session, Republican lawmakers decided to temporarily silence a Democratic member of the so-called Tennessee Three after concluding that the young Black member had violated new rules intended to punish disruptive members. A week into a special session called by Republican Governor Bill Lee in response to a deadly shooting at a Christian elementary school in Nashville in March, Representative Justin Jones was targeted with a motion that prevented him from commenting on and debating measures for the balance of the day.
As more and more victims’ relatives express their dissatisfaction with the legislative process, the House and the Senate remain frozen in their disagreement over what to adopt. Many different ideas are being discussed, including ones to improve mental health services, the juvenile justice system, and school safety. The Republican majority in the legislature is rejecting the governor’s call to remove firearms from those who have been deemed a danger to themselves or others. After the vote to silence Jones, the gallery was ordered thrown out, but the proceedings continued to be disrupted by loud yells and protests for several minutes.
Jones had only moments before criticized a bill that would have increased the number of school resource officers and started a laundry list of other services, he believed the state should provide. Jones was cautioned by House Speaker Cameron Sexton to stay on topic. Last week, the Republican-controlled parliament enacted new rules that allow for the permanent censure of lawmakers for speaking off topic during discussion.
Jones argued that “mental health professionals” were needed in schools. Money for mental health services and therapists is essential. We must increase teacher compensation. More police officers are not needed in our schools. Jones was subsequently ruled out of order by Sexton, setting up a vote to end his participation in Monday’s session.
The next few minutes of the legislative session were a frantic frenzy as Democrats, horrified by the decision to try to silence Jones for the day, begged their Republican colleagues to reconsider. However, 70 Republican senators were skeptical and voted to silence Jones. Democrats stormed out of the meeting in anger, taking Jones with them. After a horrific school shooting in Nashville in March, the audience chanted “fascists” and “racists,” prompting Sexton to ask troopers to clear the gallery. The throng included gun control supporters who were lobbying for reform.
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