The Tennessee State House on Monday passed House Bill (HB) 855 by State Representative Lee Reeves (R-Franklin), which would prohibit counties from using the controversial caucus system, which has historically been opposed by Republicans, to select candidates for county level races.
Amending existing Tennessee law to include county offices among those in which candidates must be nominated through traditional primary elections, as is already required for state and federal offices, the legislation passed with 60 votes in favor and just 25 votes against. The State Senate passed its version, Senate Bill (SB) 799 by Majority Leader Jack Johnson (R-Franklin), with 27 votes in favor and three against last week.
Speaking on the House floor, Reeves argued enshrining primary elections will make it easier for Tennesseans to engage with the political process at the grassroots level, while opponents, including State Representatives Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) and Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), asked Reeves to comment on the recent resolution opposing his legislation by the Republican State Executive Committee (SEC).
“I will stand with the voters, the mom and dad who can’t make it to a caucus. I will stand with the military member who is on active duty overseas, defending our right to vote but unable to participate in a caucus,” Reeves told Cepicky. “I will stand with the emergency workers who are on duty that night, and I will stand with the pregnant mother giving birth on the night of the caucus.”
In response to a similar question from Fritts, he added, “I will stand with voters over party insiders any day of the week.”
A total of 23 Republicans were joined joined two Democrats, State Representatives Antonio Parkinson (R-Memphis) and Gabby Salinas (R-Memphis), in their votes against the legislation.
Republicans who voted against the bill include State Representatives Jody Barrett (R-Dickson), Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood), Kip Capley (R-Somerville), Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka), Elaine Davis (R-Knoxville), Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski), Monty Fritts (R-Kingston), Ron M. Gant (R-Portland), Rusty Grills (R-Newbern), Bud Hulsey (R-Kingsport), Chris Hurt (R-Halls), Kelly Keisling (R-Blountville), Brock Martin (R-Nashville), Debra Moody (R-Covington), Jay D. Reedy (R-Erin), Michele Reneau (R-Nashville), Tim Rudd (R-Murfreesboro), Lowell Russell (R-Vonore), Mike Sparks (R-Smyrna), Chris Todd (R-Jackson), Greg Vital (R-Harrogate), and Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill).
Aaron Gulbransen, a former reporter for The Tennessee Star who is now the CEO of the Tennessee Conservatives Coalition, said the legislation protects the franchise of Tennesseans, calling it a “a Pro-Military, Pro-Life Election Integrity bill that protects the Right to Vote in local primaries for all Tennesseans,” with emphasis on protecting the rights of “the Military, Pregnant Moms, Working Moms, College Republicans, and so many more.”
Gulbransen added, “Donald Trump hates caucuses and so do we. We are glad to see that the vast majority of Republicans in both the State House and State Senate share that belief with us. We are so thrilled to support this bill and proud to say we worked to get it passed. Survey says: One more for the good guys.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Caucus” by Rbreidbrown. CC BY-SA 4.0.
GOOD JOB
I can’t think who would benefit from this stupid bill ( other than cheaters).
Caucuses are just for show, the “King Makers” of the Party have already decided who they want to run. IN the early 70`s, my Democrat neighbors invited me to a Democrat Caucus held in a huge auditorium in Knoxville. I was obvious at the age of 16 that the “selection” was fixed by the small group who sat upon the stage. Many Democrats in the crowd were disappointed greatly, but they still voted for the chosen ones in the election. This was back when we had Democrat Patronage Chairmen in each County, if you wanted a State or Local government job, you went though them.
I’m opposed to the legislature taking away the ability to hold a caucus at the local level. It would be a different story if they had passed the closed election bill presented earlier this session without some assurance of closing the primaries the Democrats will be taking over our party. I’m afraid that has been happening already with the amount of Rino’s running our state.