Democrats say the Republican state home speaker is selectively utilizing decorum guidelines in opposition to gun management proponents.
Tennessee State Rep. Justin Jones decried the “authoritarianism” of Home Republicans on Monday after they voted to silence him for the rest of the day’s ground session, utilizing newly enacted chamber guidelines aimed toward shutting down members who’re deemed out of order.
The Tennessee Home’s GOP supermajority barred Jones (D-52) — a member of the so-called ” Tennessee Three” — from talking for the remainder of Monday’s particular session after Home Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-25) dominated that the Democratic lawmaker violated the brand new guidelines.
According to The Related Press, “Jones had been criticizing laws that will have allowed extra regulation enforcement officers in colleges and commenced itemizing different assets that the state must be offering.”
“What our colleges want are psychological well being professionals,” Jones mentioned. “We want funding for psychological well being, for counselors. We have to pay our lecturers higher. We don’t want extra police in our colleges.”
The GOP’s vote to silence Jones sparked fury within the chamber, with Democrats arguing that Sexton is selectively wielding the brand new guidelines to focus on outspoken gun management proponents.
Republicans voted to expel Jones from the Home in April after he took to the Home ground with a bullhorn to demand motion to curb gun violence. The Democrat was reinstated days later and simply received reelection earlier this month.
Jones’ fellow Democrats walked off the ground with him following Monday’s vote. The Tennessean reported that “Republican lawmakers tried to get the Home ground session again on observe after the Democrats left, as members of the gallery above erupted in anger with yells of ‘racists’ and ‘fascists.’”
“Chants solely grew louder as state troopers started swarming the gallery to clear it,” the newspaper continued. “Demonstrators stayed of their seats as troopers started asking them to go away, however slowly cleared out into the halls to proceed chanting.”
In a video posted to social media following the walkout, Jones mentioned that “what’s taking place isn’t democratic, it’s authoritarianism.”
“The Capitol is surrounded by troopers,” mentioned Jones. “This doesn’t seem like a democratic physique.”
Simply left the Home Chamber after Speaker Sexton pressured a vote to silence me for the rest of the legislative day (for talking “off subject”) and ordered the general public cleared out of the gallery.
That is the authoritarianism we’re combating in opposition to. pic.twitter.com/xfDAh9DpmI
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) August 28, 2023
Earlier within the day, Jones announced plans to name for a no-confidence vote in opposition to Sexton, citing the Republican chief’s alleged misuse of taxpayer funds and different abuses of authority.
Earlier than he was silenced by the Republican supermajority, Jones had supposed to introduce his proposal on the finish of Monday’s session, which marked the beginning of the second week of a particular session aimed toward responding to the lethal capturing at Covenant College in Nashville earlier this 12 months.
“The Home should carry out its responsibility to carry the speaker to account and train an inside verify on energy,” Jones wrote in a letter to his colleagues. “At a time of file low approval rankings for the Legislature, this isn’t only a vote of no confidence within the speaker however a vote to revive confidence on this physique with the folks of Tennessee.”
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