Tuesday morning on the Tennessee Star Report, host Michael Patrick Leahy welcomed former (D) State Rep. John DeBerry to the newsmakers line to talk about how his new role as Sr. Advisor to Governor Lee, his pastorship, and establishing lines of communication with state lawmakers, officials, and the Biden administration.
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Commentary: The Political Ambush of State Rep. John DeBerry
The year 2020 will go down as being known for COVID-19, social-distancing and the political ambush of State Rep. John DeBerry by the Tennessee Democratic Party. DeBerry, a Memphis Democrat and respected statesman in the House of Representatives, was ousted by his own party back in May by a 41-18 vote by members of the Tennessee Democrat Executive Committee.
Rather than letting voters take him off the ballot, a committee of Democrats who probably never visited his district cast him out for being conservative on social issues.
Read MoreGovernor Lee Taps Ousted Democratic Representative John DeBerry to Become Cabinet Senior Advisor
Governor Bill Lee tapped former Representative John DeBerry (D-TN-Memphis) to join his Cabinet as a senior advisor. Lee’s announcement came shortly after DeBerry lost his re-election.
The governor appears to hold high regard for the former representative, though their party alignments differ.
Read MoreOusted Democrat John DeBerry Loses House District 90 to Torrey Harris
Incumbent John DeBerry lost Tennessee’s House District 90 to Democratic candidate Torrey Harris on Tuesday. DeBerry lost by nearly 55 points, or just over 11,000 votes.
Although DeBerry had served the office as a Democrat for the last 26 years, the Democratic Party removed him from the primary ballot over disagreements with his views on abortion and education.
Read MoreTennessee State Rep. John DeBerry: Progressives Use ‘Despicable Language’ Against Him and His Faith
Tennessee state Rep. John DeBerry (D-Memphis) this week publicly told members of the state and national Democratic Party apparatus that politicians will no longer sacrifice their beliefs just to have a “D” behind their name.
DeBerry said this during an interview with the Brooklyn, New York-based The Tablet, which is that area’s newspaper of the Roman Catholic Diocese.
Read MoreClint Brewer: The Tennessee Democratic Party Needs to Take a Look at Who Represents Them in Response to DeBerry Coup
At the top of the second hour on Monday’s Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, all star panelist Clint Brewer weighed in on the recent coup against Memphis State Representative John DeBerry and commented that he finds the whole situation to be very troubling. He further went on to express his concern stating that we may have reached a point in this country where you could be removed from your party because you are working across the aisle with other legislators.
Read MoreJohn DeBerry Defends School Vouchers: ‘I Serve Memphis’
Tennessee State Rep. John DeBerry, D-Memphis, said Tuesday that his constituents have no problem with him supporting school vouchers.
Read MoreLamar Alexander Bill Has ‘Dangerous Proposal’ Tennessee State Representatives Warn
Two Tennessee state representatives, one a Republican, another a Democrat, have called out Tennessee Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander for what they call “a dangerous proposal” in a bill he’s introduced to address surprise medical billing.
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