"Tennessee's Republican House speaker is punishing Democrats for participating in a chaotic end to the special session lawmakers used to redraw congressional maps to bolster a GOP candidate in the midterm election. House Speaker Cameron Sexton sent a letter Tuesday to House Minority Leader Karen Camper notifying her that Democratic Caucus members will be removed from all standing committees and subcommittees except in cases where their membership is required by House rules. Letters to individual members told them to contact Camper for information."
"All 24 House Democrats are barred, including Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis, a congressional candidate. They both were ousted, then reinstated, after vocal Democratic pushback in 2023 following a House chamber protest over gun laws in the wake of The Covenant School shooting that claimed the lives of six people, including three children. The Crossville Republican cited the incident in which House Democrats gathered at the front of the chamber as Republicans voted to redistrict the state's congressional map last week and locked arms in a show of solidarity against the GOP plan."
"Similarly, Senate Speaker Randy McNally is considering possible action against six Senate Democrats who locked arms in the well at the end of their session in a "blatant violation of civility and decorum," according to spokesperson Adam Kleinheider. Related Story The new map was proposed shortly after a Supreme Court ruling dismantled aspects of the Voting Rights Act."
Tennessee House Democrats locked arms on the House floor to protest a redistricting vote that split the state’s only majority-Black Democrat congressional district. The protest occurred during a chaotic end to a special session used to redraw congressional maps to strengthen a GOP midterm candidate. House Speaker Cameron Sexton notified the House minority leader that Democratic caucus members would be removed from standing committees and subcommittees, except where required by House rules. Letters to individual members directed them to contact the minority leader. All 24 House Democrats were barred, including Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who previously faced removal and reinstatement after a 2023 chamber protest over gun laws. Senate Speaker Randy McNally is considering action against six Senate Democrats for locking arms in the well, citing a violation of civility and decorum. The new map followed a Supreme Court ruling dismantling parts of the Voting Rights Act.
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