The Tennessee House of Representatives is warning lawmakers and crowds watching legislative proceedings that they could be removed from the chamber if their behavior is deemed erratic.
Lawmakers with multiple violations could be removed from the chamber for several days at a time and forced to vote remotely. In general cases, particularly egregious behavior or frequent disruptive behavior can result in a suspension of up to two years. The option for tougher penalties was included in the news rules package passed Thursday.
“You're in the chamber of the House of Representatives, so you're expected to be civil and respectful of Congress,” Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton told reporters. “It's the same at the gallery.”
The tightened rules mark the latest example of a U.S. focus on punishing state legislators if they discover their colleagues have committed misconduct. The topic returned to the forefront in Georgia on Thursday, when state Sen. Colton Moore, who had previously been barred from the House, was forced into the chamber after a confrontation with House staffers. He was arrested after attempting to enter and falling to the floor. Governor's Chamber.
Loud crowds have also attracted attention at other regional councils. In Rhode Island, the general public, including protesters demanding action on homelessness, were blocked from entering the Rotunda for several hours Wednesday for Democratic Gov. Dan McKee's State of the State address, according to reports.
Tennessee House Republicans have been tinkering with rules since 2023 to prevent disruption by political opponents. That's when he expelled two Democratic lawmakers who had protested on the floor calling for gun control in the wake of school shootings. The move backfired politically, drawing national attention to Tennessee and raising the profile of Democratic lawmakers with huge fundraising efforts. However, Republicans maintained the same supermajority in November and beyond.
Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson, who survived the expulsion vote, called the Tennessee House changes “the stupidest fascist rules.”
“They are putting members in 'time out' due to 'malfunctions,'” Johnson posted on social media Thursday. “Remember, for them, if you say the word racism, they'll call you out of order.”
The changes come as Speaker Sexton has become the subject of some of the biggest criticisms from left-leaning Capitol visitors. In pushing for the changes, House Republicans pointed to Congress' strict etiquette rules for gallery visitors. Both Tennessee chambers are controlled by Republicans, but the House has long been the site of some of the most over-the-top conflicts, not just among members but among them. The Senate does not change the rules or aim to silence members or visitors.
On several occasions, state troopers have been ordered to remove themselves from the stands after the passage of controversial bills, with the House stalled due to audience protests. It is not uncommon for some people to unfurl signs or shout profanities during particularly heated discussions.
In response, Republicans have sought to silence protesters they see as unruly. In 2023, it prohibited visitors from carrying signs inside the Capitol or in hearing rooms during a brief special session. The rule was later challenged in court and suspended by a judge, but lawmakers adjourned before the lawsuit was resolved. They have not reinstated the ban.
Last year, House Republican officials had half the general gallery request tickets. Each of the 99 members of the House will receive one ticket to give to someone each day during the House session. There are 128 seats on the ticketing side. The other seats 120 and is first-come, first-served.
The new penalties for remote voting against MPs are mainly tailored to one MP who was expelled and returned home. On multiple occasions, Republicans have ruled Rep. Justin Jones' comments out of order, sometimes saying he was out of turn, badmouthing other members, or going off topic. have voted to silence him. Jones said the House speaker sometimes ignored his requests to speak. Jones also argued there is a double standard in which Republicans go unpunished for similar actions.
Sexton compared the rules to those in Montana, where Republicans voted in 2023 to temporarily silence Rep. Zooey Zephyr and ban her from remote voting. The transgender Democratic lawmaker said her colleagues who support a ban on gender-affirming care for young people “will bleed.”
The new rules package also provides that any gallery visitor who attempts to attract the attention of someone in the chamber, or whose behavior is determined by the Speaker to be detrimental to the proceedings, will be subject to the same day's or next legislative session. He will be expelled from the game and prohibited from returning. . If someone exhibits “particularly egregious behavior” or is repeatedly expelled, that person could be subject to a longer ban, up to a two-year parliamentary term.
Lawmakers, on the other hand, could be removed from the House chamber and forced to vote remotely if they receive multiple out-of-order rulings over multiple days.
