Tag: Tennessee House of Representatives

State Rep. Gloria Johnson Celebrates U.S. Senate Primary Victory

Peter D'Abrosca
Gloria Johnson

A far-left member of the Tennessee House of Representatives Thursday night won her primary election, and now faces an uphill battle against incumbent U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN).

“Thank you, Tennessee. I am running for office to represent you, to fight for you, and make life easier for all who call Tennessee home. I have never felt more ready to fight for a Tennessee that works for all of us. Let’s do this!” said State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knovxille) when the primary results rolled in. 

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State Representative Scott Cepicky: Tennessee’s Public Education Has Opportunity to Be Improved Through Both Universal School Choice Program and Reform Measures

Kaitlin Housler
MPL and Cepicky Interview

Tennessee State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) said the Tennessee House version of the universal school choice bill that failed to pass the General Assembly earlier this year is “eerily similar” to the Wisconsin school choice bill that passed the state’s legislature nearly 14 years ago.

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Aaron Gulbransen: Tennessee House Should Have Introduced a ‘Clean School Choice Bill’

Kaitlin Housler
Classroom

Aaron Gulbransen, executive director of the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, said the Tennessee House of Representatives should have introduced a “clean” universal school choice bill instead of attaching additional incentives not particularly related to school choice to the bill.

While the governor’s school choice bill in the House includes additional incentives, the Senate’s version solely focuses on the governor’s proposal.

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Democrat State Rep. Gloria Johnson to Run for Two Offices at Same Time: Re-Election to TN House and Longshot Bid for U.S. Senate

Kaitlin Housler

Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) intends to file for reelection to the Tennessee House of Representatives despite being five months into her longshot U.S. Senate bid to unseat incumbent Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), according to a report by Knox News.

Johnson is one of the “Tennessee Three” lawmakers who commandeered the House floor to demand gun control in the wake of the Covenant School last year.

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Tennessee House Staffer Suspended over Alleged Heated Exchange with State Rep. Justin Jones

Tom Pappert
Justin Jones Torrey Harris

A Tennessee House staffer for Representative Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) was suspended from her position as an Executive Legislative Analyst until after the 2024 legislative session concludes.

The Tennessee General Assembly Director of Legislative Administration confirmed in a January 30 letter that the staffer “had an inappropriate confrontation with a Member of the House of Representatives” and “failed to maintain a satisfactory and harmonious working relationship” and disrupting work in the Tennessee House.

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Constitutional Law Expert: Democrats’ Call for DOJ Probe into Tennessee State Lawmakers’ Expulsions Is ‘Ridiculous Political Grandstanding’

M.D. Kittle

The left’s press to paint the expulsions of two disorderly Democratic lawmakers from the Tennessee House of Representatives as an assault on civil rights is moving into overdrive, but constitutional law experts predict the effort will go nowhere — even for President Joe Biden’s politically weaponized Justice Department. 

A group of U.S. Senate Democrats led by Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is calling on the DOJ to investigate the Republican-controlled Tennessee House’s removal of State Representatives Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Memphis). 

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Justin Pearson Appealed to the ‘Radical Middle’ During Bid for Bowdoin College Student President

Peter D'Abrosca

A video circulating the web appears to show that newly-reappointed State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) ran on a platform of unity among Republicans and Democrats during a bid for Bowdoin Student Government President at his alma mater Bowdoin College just a handful of years ago. 

“How can we represent all voices in a conversation?” asked Pearson in a campaign video. “I want to do this by partnering with Democrats from the Bowdoin Democrats to the Bowdoin Republicans. I want to bring together different voices, dissenting voices. Voices that might be more liberal or more conservative, in order [so] that we can reach the point of sort of the ‘radical middle.'” 

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Former Obama AG Eric Holder Threatened Legal Action in Letter to TN House Speaker Sexton Unless Expelled Democrat Legislators Let Back In; Sources Say Litigation Still Likely

M.D. Kittle

Leftist Eric Holder, former President Barack Obama’s attorney general, is part of a group of attorneys threatening Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Cameron Sexton and his fellow Republican members for expelling two Democrats on charges of inciting a riot at the Capitol. 

Multiple sources tell The Tennessee Star that Holder is looking at filing lawsuits in the matter. 

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Nashville Metro Council to Vote on Interim Successor to Former State Rep. Justin Jones

Michael Patrick Leahy

The Nashville and Davidson County Metro Council is scheduled to meet Monday evening for the purpose of voting on an interim successor to former State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville).

Jones was expelled from the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday in a 72 to 25 vote for breaking numerous rules of the House one week earlier on Thursday, March 30, the day over a thousand protestors rioted at the State Capitol and attempted to enter the chamber of the House of Representatives by force.

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Tennessee General Assembly Primary Results

Laura Baigert

While there were 115 Tennessee General Assembly seats open for Thursday’s primary, most went uncontested.  In fact, there was just a fractional 36 primaries yielding some surprising results.

In the Senate, all of the incumbents won their primary bid.

In the House, Representatives Micah Van Huss and Matthew Hill both lost their primaries.  Coupled with Representative Timothy Hill leaving the House to run in the U.S. House District 1 Republican primary, which he also lost, the representation of the northeast corner of the state will undergo dramatic changes.

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BREAKING: Speaker Glen Casada Announces Resignation Effective August 2, 2019 at 8 AM

Admin

  Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada indicated a few weeks ago that he would be resigning from his position as Speaker and would determine a timetable for the effective date of his resignation when he returned from a long-planned overseas vacation on June 3. Casada initiated discussions about a specific resignation date with Republican leaders on June 3. Casada then met with Legislative leaders again on June 4th before issuing a resignation letter effective August 2 at 8 am. In his letter he requests that Governor Bill Lee call a Special Session on that date to conduct “legislative business,” and that while the Legislature is assembled the House “may take up the procedural matter of electing a new Speaker to lead the chamber.” Based on the timeline that Casada has recommended in his letter, Speaker Pro Tem Bill Dunn (R – Knoxville) would only serve as Speaker for a few hours unless he is elected as Speaker during the Special Session after Casada’s resignation becomes effective. However, the Governor and Legislature could choose to avoid a Special Session and simply allow Dunn to succeed Casada pending an election of a new Speaker at a later date. Or, the Governor could…

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Ethics Committee Legal Counsel Disputes Claims by Rep. Mike Carter Regarding Ethics Meetings

Steve Gill

  Earlier this month Representative Mike Carter (R-Ooltewah) complained about a series of meetings held with individual members of the House Ethics Committee, Chaired by Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesboro), on Monday May 13.  The meetings were held in an effort to develop an approved advisory opinion regarding certain facts surrounding alleged actions of House Speaker Glen Casada (R-Franklin). Chairman Hill later indicated that the meetings with individual members of the Ethics Committee were necessary in view of the quickly developing story and the need to get input from members within a timeline that did not permit a full meeting. Carter claimed the development of an advisory opinion that had been requested by Casada was part of an attempt by Casada, through Hill, to protect his speakership. Carter said of his meeting with Hill and two of the Committee’s legal counsel: “my concern with the meeting is that it shows a heart for misrepresentation and political maneuvering to save the requestor’s office even at a loss of reputation and integrity of the House Ethics Committee. This is the most egregious act I have been made aware of.” Carter also implied that Casada was attempting to “rig and predetermine” action by the…

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State Rep. London Lamar Reportedly Nominated to Chair Shelby County Democratic Party

Chris Butler

State Rep. London Lamar, D-Memphis, wants to chair the Shelby County Democratic Party, according to The Daily Memphian. Someone recently nominated Lamar for the position, the paper went on to say. “I decided to run because I was asked by several elected officials and Democratic officials to help us to put our party in a position to thrive in 2020,” The Daily Memphian reported. “We had a landslide election in 2018. We wanted to make sure we could provide the county party leadership to continue to build on those victories – not only to maintain our power here in Memphis, but to be in a position to lead the state to a Democratic win in 2020.” Lamar reportedly revived the Shelby County Young Democrats organization and is currently finishing up her term as chair of the Tennessee Young Democrats organization, the website said. Lamar is one of two contenders for the position, The Daily Memphian reported. As The Tennessee Star reported last year, Lamar generated international attention after she declared in November, shortly after her election to the Tennessee House of Representatives that “Tennessee is a racist state,” as The Tennessee Star reported: … Lamar live streamed a 15-minute rant on Facebook…

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