Tennessee House GOP Set to Enforce ‘Two-Strike’ Rule Against Disruptive Protestors

Tennessee Republicans are advancing a new rule to remove disruptive spectators from the House gallery, raising concerns about public protest rights.

Tennessee House GOP Set to Enforce ‘Two-Strike’ Rule Against Disruptive Protestors
Tennessee House GOP Set to Enforce ‘Two-Strike’ Rule Against Disruptive Protestors

Nashville: So, the Tennessee House Republicans are gearing up to pass some new rules. They want to give House Speaker Cameron Sexton the power to kick out anyone causing a ruckus in the gallery for the whole session. This is part of a trend where the GOP has been tightening the reins on public protests over the last couple of years.

Under this new “two-strike” rule, if someone gets booted for being disorderly, they can’t come back for that day and the next. If they get kicked out again, they could be banned for the rest of the session. Pretty intense, right?

And if someone does something really out of line, Sexton can ban them on the spot. This all went down as the Tennessee General Assembly kicked off its session, with a packed gallery that included protestors.

They also passed a new “three-strikes” rule for House members. If a member breaks the rules, they first get a warning, then they could be silenced for a couple of days if they mess up again. A third strike? They could be out for three days. Sounds like a lot of drama!

Democrats are not happy about this. They argue that the GOP is using its power to define what counts as disorderly conduct, which feels unfair. Rep. Yusuf Hakeem from Chattanooga raised a good point: if representatives can’t express themselves, who are they really listening to?

One GOP member compared the House to a courtroom, saying that just because the public can watch doesn’t mean they can act out. They’re trying to keep things orderly, but it’s definitely stirring up some heated debates.

In addition to all this, the number of bills members can file is going down. They used to be able to file 15, but now it’s dropping to 12 next year and then 10 the year after. Republicans shot down all the changes proposed by Democrats, including a ban on guns in committee rooms.

These new rules still need to be approved by the full House, but with the GOP holding the majority, it looks like they’ll get their way.

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