Live from Music Row Thursday morning on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy – broadcast on Nashville’s Talk Radio 98.3 and 1510 WLAC weekdays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. – host Leahy welcomed Tennessee House of Representative’s Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) in studio to talk about the chances of Justin Jones taking over a House session and the mechanics of his re-election.
Leahy: In studio, our very good friend, State Representative Johnny Garrett, the majority whip of the Tennessee House of Representatives. So the big question is, Johnny, what happens if the anarchist American Bolsheviks who just got returned to the House, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who will be returned later this week, what happens if they violate the rules of the House again?
Garrett: I think that since the attention is so focused on him and the three, I think people will be watching for that. I think people will be looking for what does decorum mean? Why do we have the rules?
And with a member, any member that continues to violate the rules of the House and especially brings it to a halt, we could be right back where we were. There’s going to be a serious discussion about what consequences should take place when a member continues to disrespect the House and in turn disrespects it.
Leahy: But if you are Justin Jones and you are an American Bolshevik and you’ve already said that the Tennessee General Assembly is a dishonorable institution and that it’s filled with racists and bad people and enemies of democracy, what is to prevent Justin Jones from doing exactly what he did last time?
Garrett: I don’t think there’ll be anything that’ll prevent him from doing the same thing.
Leahy: Can he just take over every session of the House?
Garrett: He will not be able to take over every session.
Leahy: How will you prevent him from doing it?
Garrett: The same rules still apply, even though these three think that rules don’t apply to them.
Leahy: Apparently they don’t.
Garrett: They do not.
Leahy: Two of them got expelled. They’re coming back and so what if they have another rally and he goes up with a bullhorn again and says, no justice, no peace and he starts inciting these people to come and storm the chamber because he wants gun control? We got to get rid of the Second Amendment! What are you going to do?
Garrett: I think that’s where our base, our supporters need to realize what they’re trying to do is destroy an institution that works for them.
Leahy: I think we understand that. But let’s say he does that. What are you going to do? Are you going to put the state troopers on him and take him off the floor? Oh, that’s going to work well.
Garrett: That’s exactly what he wants. He wants that image.
Leahy: What will the national press do?
Garrett: He wants that. That’s right. That’s right. He wants that image of, him or others being dragged out of an institution that he holds no sacred connection to other than being a member.
Leahy: He’s a member, but he despises the democratic process.
Garrett: Absolutely, he does. And I think that’s where the voters of his district have to realize it.
Leahy: What’s the likelihood he’s going to do something like that?
Garrett: I think it’s very, I think it’s very likely that he’s going to act the same way that he’s always acted.
Leahy: What is the House going to do when he takes it over again?
Garrett: You’ll have to stay tuned. I think you’ll have to see. (Laughter)
Leahy: Okay. I’ll let you off the hook on that one, Johnny. Oh my goodness. We do this little thing at the end of the show called News Potpourri, and we say it’s for all those stories that we don’t have full-time for, but are interesting and have a touch of irony. I think I might have to change that.
It’s not just irony; it’s a touch of the absurd. That’s where we are right now. Put that aside. What’s the House going to accomplish? By the way, the House has had a very productive session with some great legislation. The ending of genital mutilation in the transgender situation is spectacularly good.
Garrett: That’s right. The spotlight is on three folks that don’t want to see the business conducted. And we’ve really done a good job. We’ve got a budget coming up. We’re going to pass a great conservative budget, we’re going to spend less of your money as we possibly can to make sure we can serve.
So we still have that process. We’ve also got this bill for our public schools and some for private schools. Tt seems to not even be discussed what we’re doing to try to protect our schools.
Leahy: And isn’t that the most important point? That’s a very important piece of legislation.
Garrett: Absolutely. So we’ve got a lot of the business of Tennesseean to do left in this next two or three weeks, and that is our job, not this circus that we’ve seen for the past week. Our job is to do the business of the folks that sent us here, and my gosh, we’re going to do it.
Leahy: I’m all in favor of that. We’ve got three weeks?
Garrett: Three weeks. Three weeks.
Leahy: Today is Tuesday, April 11th. What’s the over-under on the next time Justin Jones breaks the rules of the House?
Garrett: It’ll most likely be today. Who knows today? He will fall or the other, or I believe Representative Johnson was restored to her committees. I don’t know if those committees were still meeting.
Leahy: Was she restored to her committees?
Garrett: She was restored to her committees last night.
Leahy: Why?
Garrett: That was a decision made by her Speaker of the House.
Leahy: But she broke the rules of the House. She got almost expelled. She was part of the crowd that was, inciting the riot and she’s been restored to committee.
Garrett: I think she’s on education and I’m not sure which other committee she’s on. But I think their last meeting is today. So whether she was restored or not, that work is almost done. And it’ll get done whether she’s on the committee or not.
Leahy: Now Justin Jones is not being restored to committees.
Garrett: That’s right. The precedent of the House is that when you’re appointed, you won’t be appointed to a committee until you’re elected. I think his election will be a month or two from now. There’ll be a primary and there’ll be a general.
Leahy: It’ll be that quick?
Garrett: I believe the governor calls for a special election, and then it’s whenever the Davidson County Election Committee sets it according to…
Leahy: So when would the primary take place?
Garrett: It could be anywhere between the next 30 to 45 days roughly for whenever the governor makes it.
Leahy: And then the general.
Garrett: Then there’ll be a general, so you’re probably looking at July, August, maybe when he would be reelected.
Leahy: Governor, if you’re listening 30, 45 days for the primary, it gives an opponent virtually no time to prepare.
Garrett: That’s right. Now I could be a little bit off, but that’s all according to state statute when those things need to be called.
Leahy: Hopefully he’ll call a little bit later and give the opposition time! He’s in Nashville’s 52nd district. Shouldn’t the Republican party have an opportunity to mount a campaign?
Garrett: Absolutely.
Leahy: Have a candidate who could set forth an alternative to, American Bolshevism.
Garrett: That’s right. Absolutely. That’s the way our republic works.
Leahy: Disrespect for the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Garrett: (Chuckles) That’s right. That’s right. Hopefully, if they could send someone to us that would be an effective voice for that district that’s interested in legislation and not protesting.
Leahy: I’m going to make a suggestion here. I still think that Justin Jones is not eligible to be reappointed. Apparently, the Metro Council disagrees with me as well as apparently the leadership of the House. The language of the state constitution says a successor has to be another person. That’s my view of it.
And I’m going to encourage the Republicans in Davidson County to file a lawsuit with the Secretary of State to prohibit him from running in this election because I think it’s a violation of the state constitution. Your thoughts, Johnny?
Garrett: I do think that the word successor in the state constitution is not defined. If it’s defined as, can you succeed yourself, I think that’s a question and that would be a subject matter of any litigation on any potential successor that they succeed themselves.
Listen to today’s show highlights, including this interview:
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Tune in weekdays from 5:00 – 8:00 a.m. to The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy on Talk Radio 98.3 FM WLAC 1510. Listen online at iHeart Radio.
Photo “Johnny Garrett” by Johnny Garrett. Photo “Justin Jones” by Justin Jones.
These three were emboldened by the lack of sanction commensurate with their childish conduct. Simple solution, if they disrupt the peoples work like before, then have them escorted from the chambers. Then expel them, just like last time. Further, like last time, change the door locks and invalidate their pass cards. Let them go back to Memphis, Nashville and Knoxville pleading again for reinstatement. The council in each district will grow wary of their uselessness in the State House. Further these districts will grow tired of not only their conduct but the district’s lack of representation. These three selfish immature clowns will essentially votes themselves out of office. In no way should they be given latitude in their conduct.
The “rules” are a waste of everybody’s time , but apparently, that’s what they do at our state house of representatives – waste time. Johnson should be out. Jones and Pearson should not be allowed back in.
Great interview Michael!!! Served to bring into clear focus that our current Republican leadership are nice enough guys, but they are clearly not up to the job of supplying effective opposition to those elected from Tennessee’s leftist ghettos in today’s Democratic Party. We need a new energized Republican Party and we need one bad.