House redistricting panel to hold first meeting Wednesday
The House Select Committee on Redistricting holds its first meeting on Wednesday.
Anyone wishing to participate in the public comment section of the meeting must register by Tuesday afternoon.
Traditionally each chamber comes up with its own redistricting plan, while the House and Senate combine to draw new congressional maps.
Here’s the agenda:
Select Committee on Redistricting
Wednesday, September 8, 2021 – HHR I – 1:00 PM
Johnson C, Chair; Marsh, Vice-Chair; Camper, Crawford, Faison, Freeman, Hazlewood, Hicks G, Holsclaw, Lamberth, Parkinson, Russell, Vaughan, Whitson, Williams, Windle
I. Call to Order & Introductions
II. Presentation – Doug Himes, Counsel to the Select Committee on
RedistrictingIII. House Redistricting Guidelines
IV. Submission of Redistricting Plans
V. Public Comments*
VI. Adjourn
Sexton names House redistricting committee
Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) has named the membership of the House Select Committee on Redistricting.
The panel will be led by Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville). Speaker Pro Tem Pat Marsh is the vice chair. Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain) will serve as East Tennessee coordinator, while Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville) and Gary Hicks (R-Rogersville) will oversee the East and Middle grand divisions, respectively.
Four of the committee’s 16 members are Democrats.
Here’s the full release from Sexton’s office:
(NASHVILLE, Tenn.) — Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) today announced the first-ever bipartisan House Select Committee on Redistricting. The announcement comes after a prolonged delay by the U.S. Census Bureau in releasing state-level redistricting data.
The bipartisan committee consists of 16 House members, including four Democratic members. Deputy Speaker Curtis Johnson (R-Clarksville) will chair the committee, and Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh (R-Shelbyville) is the committee’s vice-chair.
Additional committee members include:
Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain)
Rep. Kevin Vaughan (R-Collierville)
Rep. Gary Hicks (R-Rogersville)
Rep. Karen Camper (D- Memphis)
Rep. John Crawford (R-Bristol/Kingsport)
Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby)
Rep. Bob Freeman (D-Nashville)
Rep. John Holsclaw (R-Elizabethton)
Rep. William Lamberth (R-Portland)
Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis)
Rep. Lowell Russell (R-Vonore)
Rep. Sam Whitson (R-Franklin)
Rep. Ryan Williams (R- Cookeville)
Rep. John Mark Windle (D-Livingston)
“As we continue reviewing the long-awaited statewide data released by the U.S. Census Bureau, I am excited to announce the first-ever bipartisan House Select Committee on Redistricting,” said Speaker Sexton. “The makeup of this panel is representative of the distinctive voices of Tennesseans from across all three grand divisions of our state. I appreciate both my Republican and Democratic colleagues for their work as part of this panel, which will play a critical role in a transparent, public process that will produce both fair and constitutional redistricting plans representative of all Tennesseans.”
House Ethics Counsel Doug Himes will serve as counsel for the committee. The date of the first meeting of the bipartisan House Select Committee on Redistricting has not yet been determined.
For additional information on the redistricting process in the Tennessee House of Representatives, please click here.
Cameron Sexton is the Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives. A former Republican Caucus Chairman, Majority Whip, and House Health Committee Chairman, Sexton resides in Crossville. He is in his sixth term serving House District 25, including Cumberland, Putnam, and Van Buren Counties.
See by how much Tennessee districts miss their ideal populations following census count
The U.S. Census Bureau late last week released population count data to be used for the once-a-decade redistricting process. The information arrived in a legacy format that requires some massaging to make usable for legislative consultants. But the City University of New York has already processed the numbers in the form of a national map.
We’ve teased out the Tennessee numbers to show how much variance current legislative districts have with the ideal population. State case law has established General Assembly seats can fall within plus or minus 5% of the average. The bigger the variance, the more districts will have to be shifted before next year’s election.
Here are the breakdowns for the Senate and House:
SENATE:
| District | Senator | Party | Counties | over/under |
| 29 | Akbari, Raumesh | D | Shelby (part) | -12% |
| 15 | Bailey, Paul | R | Bledsoe, Cumberland, Jackson, Overton, Putnam, White | 3.8% |
| 9 | Bell, Mike | R | Bradley (part), McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, Polk | -5.6% |
| 16 | Bowling, Janice | R | Coffee, Franklin, Grundy, Marion, Sequatchie, Van Buren, Warren | -1.6% |
| 7 | Briggs, Richard | R | Knox (part) | -1.8% |
| 20 | Campbell, Heidi | D | Davidson (part) | 6.7% |
| 3 | Crowe, Rusty | R | Carter (part), Washington, Unicoi | -6.5% |
| 10 | Gardenhire, Todd | R | Bradley (part), Hamilton (part) | -4.4% |
| 19 | Gilmore, Brenda | D | Davidson (part) | 8.6% |
| 18 | Haile, Ferrell | R | Davidson (part), Sumner, Trousdale | 13.8% |
| 28 | Hensley, Joey | R | Giles, Lawrence, Lewis, Maury, Perry, Wayne | 1.6% |
| 27 | Jackson, Ed | R | Madison, Crockett, Dyer, Lake, Lauderdale | -13.2% |
| 23 | Johnson, Jack | R | Williamson | 18.3% |
| 31 | Kelsey, Brian | R | Shelby (part) | -0.1% |
| 30 | Kyle, Sara | D | Shelby (part) | -10.3% |
| 4 | Lundberg, Jon | R | Carter (part), Johson, Sullivan | -10.4% |
| 6 | Massey, Becky Duncan | R | Knox (part) | -3% |
| 5 | McNally, Lt. Gov. Randy | R | Anderson, Knox (part), Loudon | -3.5% |
| 8 | Niceley, Frank | R | Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, Jefferson, Union | -7.6% |
| 17 | Pody, Mark | R | Cannon, Clay, DeKalb, Macon, Smith, Wilson | 12.2% |
| 22 | Powers, Bill | R | Stewart, Houston, Montgomery | 15.6% |
| 14 | Reeves, Shane | R | Bedford, Lincoln, Marshall, Moore, Rutherford (part) | 4.2% |
| 25 | Roberts, Kerry | R | Cheatham, Dickson, Hickman, Humphreys, Robertson | 1.3% |
| 33 | Robinson, Katrina | D | Shelby (part) | -5.1% |
| 32 | Rose, Paul | R | Tipton, Shelby (part) | 0.6% |
| 1 | Southerland, Steve | R | Cocke, Greene, Hamblen, Sevier (part) | -7% |
| 24 | Stevens, John | R | Benton, Carroll, Gibson, Henry, Obion, and Weakle | -9% |
| 2 | Swann, Art | R | Blount, Sevier (part) | 0% |
| 26 | Walley, Page | R | Chester, Decatur, Fayette, Hardeman, Hardin, Haywood, Henderson, McNairy | -7.1% |
| 11 | Watson, Bo | R | Hamilton (part) | -1.4% |
| 13 | White, Dawn | R | Rutherford (part) | 19.1% |
| 12 | Yager, Ken | R | Campbell, Fentress, Morgan, Rhea, Roane, Pickett, Scott Counties | -8.4% |
| 21 | Yarbro, Jeff | D | Davidson (part) | 12% |
HOUSE
| District | Incumbent | Party | Counties | over/under |
| 7 | Alexander, Rebecca | R | Washington (part) | -5.2% |
| 37 | Baum, Charlie | R | Rutherford (part) | 15.1% |
| 51 | Beck, Bill | D | Davidson (part) | 7.9% |
| 46 | Boyd, Clark | R | Cannon, DeKalb (part), Wilson (part) | 14.7% |
| 47 | Bricken, Rush | R | Coffee, Warren (part) | 2.2% |
| 71 | Byrd, David | R | Hardin, Lawrence (part), Lewis, Wayne, | -10.3% |
| 32 | Calfee, Kent | R | Loudon (part), Roane (part) | -10.4% |
| 3 | Campbell, Scotty | R | Carter (part), Johnson, Sullivan (part) | -9.1% |
| 87 | Camper, Karen | D | Shelby (part) | -2.5% |
| 12 | Carr, Dale | R | Sevier (part) | -4.7% |
| 16 | Carringer, Michele | R | Knox (part) | -4.9% |
| 29 | Carter, Joan | R | Hamiton (part) | 15.1% |
| 63 | Casada, Glen | R | Williamson (part) | 42.9% |
| 64 | Cepicky, Scott | R | Maury (part) | 14.4% |
| 85 | Chism, Jesse | D | Shelby (part) | -3.3% |
| 55 | Clemmons, John Ray | D | Davidson (part) | 0.2% |
| 23 | Cochran, Mark | R | McMinn, Monroe (part) | -2.1% |
| 86 | Cooper, Barbara | D | Shelby (part) | -8.8% |
| 1 | Crawford, John | R | Sullivan (part) | -13.5% |
| 69 | Curcio, Michael | R | Dickson (part), Hickman, Maury (part) | 1.8% |
| 76 | Darby, Tandy | R | Carroll (part), Obion (part), Weakley | -15.9% |
| 54 | Dixie, Vincent | D | Davidson (part) | -5.1% |
| 70 | Doggett, Clay | R | Giles, Lawrence (part) | -3.2% |
| 10 | Eldridge, Rick | R | Hamblen | -7.6% |
| 11 | Faison, Jeremy | R | Cocke, Greene (part), Jefferson (part) | -10.6% |
| 17 | Farmer, Andrew | R | Jefferson (part), Sevier (part) | -3.1% |
| 56 | Freeman, Bob | D | Davidson (part) | 1.5% |
| 94 | Gant, Ron | R | Hardeman (part), Fayette, McNairy | 1% |
| 45 | Garrett, Johnny | R | Sumner (part) | 10.4% |
| 97 | Gillespie, John | R | Shelby (part) | 0.5% |
| 75 | Griffey, Bruce | R | Benton, Henry, Stewart | -11.6% |
| 77 | Grills, Rusty | R | Dyer, Lake, Obion (part) | -10.4% |
| 28 | Hakeem, Yusuf | D | Hamiton (part) | -2.1% |
| 79 | Halford, Curtis | R | Carroll (part), Gibson | -6.8% |
| 24 | Hall, Mark | R | Bradley (part) | 0.4% |
| 93 | Hardaway, G. A. | D | Shelby (part) | -8.8% |
| 90 | Harris, Torrey C. | D | Shelby (part) | -15.3% |
| 72 | Haston, Kirk | R | Chester, Decatur, Henderson, Perry | -6.9% |
| 5 | Hawk, David | R | Greene (part) | -10.3% |
| 27 | Hazlewood, Patsy | R | Hamilton (part) | 1.6% |
| 30 | Helton, Esther | R | Hamilton (part) | 6.9% |
| 9 | Hicks, Gary | R | Washington (part) | -9.2% |
| 6 | Hicks, Tim | R | washington | -4.3% |
| 67 | Hodges, Jason | D | Montgomery (part) | 15.2% |
| 4 | Holsclaw, John | R | Carter (part), Unicoi | -8.7% |
| 22 | Howell, Dan | R | Bradley (part), Meigs, Polk | -1.4% |
| 2 | Hulsey, Bud | R | Sullivan (part) | -10% |
| 82 | Hurt, Chris | R | Crockett, Haywood, Lauderdale | -18.5% |
| 60 | Jernigan, Darren | D | Davidson (part) | -0.5% |
| 68 | Johnson, Curtis | R | Montgomery (part) | 30.5% |
| 13 | Johnson, Gloria | D | Knox (part) | -5.1% |
| 38 | Keisling, Kelly | R | Clay, Fentress (part), Macon, Pickett, Scott | -2.3% |
| 66 | Kumar, Sabi | R | Robertson | 4.3% |
| 89 | Lafferty, Justin | R | Knox (part) | 8.1% |
| 91 | Lamar, London | D | Shelby (part) | -16.7% |
| 44 | Lamberth, William | R | Sumner (part) | 22.6% |
| 99 | Leatherwood, Tom | R | Shelby (part) | 1.5% |
| 78 | Littleton, Mary | R | Cheatham, Dickson (part) | 0.8% |
| 58 | Love, Harold | D | Davidson (part) | 5.8% |
| 57 | Lynn, Susan | R | Wilson (part) | 27% |
| 18 | Mannis, Eddie | R | Knox (part) | -2.5% |
| 62 | Marsh, Pat | R | Bedford, Lincoln (part) | -2.1% |
| 15 | McKenzie, Sam | D | Knox (part) | -7.4% |
| 88 | Miller, Larry | D | Shelby (part) | -9.2% |
| 50 | Mitchell, Bo | D | Davidson (part) | 0.7% |
| 81 | Moody, Debra | R | Tipton | -12.7% |
| 8 | Moon, Jerome | R | Blount (part) | -5.4% |
| 61 | Ogles, Brandon | R | Williamson (part) | 2.6% |
| 98 | Parkinson, Antonio | D | Shelby (part) | -8.6% |
| 59 | Potts, Jason | D | Davidson (part) | 8% |
| 53 | Powell, Jason | D | Davidson (part) | 5.9% |
| 36 | Powers, Dennis | R | Anderson (part), Campbell, Union (part) | -11.8% |
| 33 | Ragan, John | R | Anderson (part) | -2.6% |
| 20 | Ramsey, Bob | R | Blount (part) | -0.8% |
| 74 | Reedy, Jay | R | Houston, Humphreys, Montgomery (part) | 8.7% |
| 34 | Rudd, Tim | R | Rutherford (part) | 42.8% |
| 39 | Rudder, Iris | R | Franklin (part), Marion (part), Moore | -9.4% |
| 21 | Russell, Lowell | R | Loudon (part), Monroe (part) | 1.6% |
| 25 | Sexton, Cameron | R | Cumberland, Putnam (part), Van Buren | 4.7% |
| 35 | Sexton, Jerry | R | Claiborne, Grainger, Union (part) | -10.9% |
| 80 | Shaw, Johnny | D | Hardeman (part), Madison (part) | -18.6% |
| 43 | Sherrell, Paul | R | Grundy, White, Warren (part) | -2.1% |
| 26 | Smith, Robin | R | Hamilton (part) | 3.1% |
| 49 | Sparks, Mike | R | Rutherford (part) | 15.5% |
| 52 | Stewart, Mike | D | Davidson (part) | 4.2% |
| 48 | Terry, Bryan | R | Rutherford (part) | 15.8% |
| 96 | Thompson, Dwayne | D | Shelby (part) | 3% |
| 73 | Todd, Chris | R | Madison (part) | -7.2% |
| 84 | Towns, Joe | D | Shelby (part) | -2.9% |
| 31 | Travis, Ron | R | Bledsoe, Rhea, Roane (part), Sequatchie | -0.2% |
| 95 | Vaughan, Kevin | R | Shelby (part) | 4.2% |
| 92 | Warner, Todd | R | Franklin (part), Lincoln (part), Marion (part), Marshall | -5% |
| 40 | Weaver, Terri Lynn | R | DeKalb (part), Smith, Sumner (part), Trousdale | 12.8% |
| 83 | White, Mark | R | Shelby (part) | -1.4% |
| 65 | Whitson, Sam | R | Williamson (part) | 9.3% |
| 42 | Williams, Ryan | R | Putnam (part) | 6.1% |
| 41 | Windle, John Mark | D | Fentress (part), Jackson, Morgan, Overton | -6.7% |
| 19 | Wright, Dave | R | Knox (part) | -4.6% |
| 14 | Zachary, Jason | R | Knox (part) | 2.5% |
Ogles returns to House after extended absence
State Rep. Brandon Ogles (R-Franklin) returned to the House this week after missing several weeks with what he called an “extended battle” with COVID-19 and pneumonia.
“I am thankful for those who have called, sent texts, and helped out during my absence,” Ogles said in a message posted on his Facebook page. “I am looking forward to being back in the office, serving District 61 and finishing out this legislative session strong.”
Legislative attendance records show Ogles was excused from House floor sessions on Feb. 24 and Feb. 25, and then missed another session March 15. He was then away for every floor session between March 25 and his reappearance on Monday.
Several other lawmakers have missed time this year due to COVID-19.
Permitless carry: How they voted
The House voted 64-29 to pass a bill eliminating training and background check requirements in order to carry a loaded handgun in public. The Senate previously approved its version on a 23-9 vote. The bill now heads for Gov. Bill Lee’s signature.
The measure is opposed by law enforcement groups, though sponsors noted they had heard from several officers and sheriff’s deputies that they supported the measure.
The House bill gained the support of 63 Republicans and one Democrat, Rep. John Mark Windle of Livingston. Twenty-four Democrats voted against the measure, plus five Republicans voted against the bill: John Gillespie of Memphis, Patsy Hazlewood of Signal Mountain, Eddie Mannis of Knoxville, Mark White of Memphis, and Sam Whitson of Franklin. Five other GOP members were absent or abstained.
In the Senate, all six Democrats plus three Republicans voted against the bill: Sens. Richard Briggs of Knoxville, Brian Kelsey of Memphis, and Becky Massey of Knoxville.
(See the House rollcall after the jump.)
Continue readingFreshman Republican bucks leadership on permitless carry
State Rep. John Gillespie, a freshman Republican from Memphis, speaking out against a bill to eliminate background check and training requirements in order to carry handguns in public.
“Law enforcement opposes this bill, and I take their recommendation seriously,” Gillespie said in a release.
The bill passed the Senate on a 23-9 vote last week (opponents included three Republicans: Richard Briggs of Knoxville, Brian Kelsey of Memphis, and Becky Massey of Knoxville). The House version is up for a Finance Committee vote on Tuesday.
The measure was introduced on behalf of Gov. Bill Lee and has wide support among Republicans in both chambers. But for some gun rights groups, the bill doesn’t go far enough. The National Association for Gun Rights has publicized the phone numbers of Senate Speaker Randy
McNally (R-Oak Ridge) and Senate Judiciary Chair Mike Bell (R-Riceville) for opposing efforts to allow people with recent drunken driving or stalking convictions to be covered by the bill.
The state issued 145,237 handgun carry permits last year, but 3,639 applications were rejected and 2,065 were suspended or revoked.
Here’s the release from Gillespie:
State Representative John Gillespie today voiced his opposition to a gun bill regarding what is commonly referred to as “open constitutional carry”. The proposed legislation would allow any Tennessean to carry a handgun openly or concealed without a permit and without any training in firearms use.
“I am a strong supporter of our Second Amendment right to possess firearms, but I reservations about this proposed law,” Gillespie stated. “I’ve spoken with numerous constituents and law enforcement professionals about this bill and have decided to vote ‘no’ for two reasons. First, law enforcement opposes this bill, and I take their recommendation seriously. Second, there is no training component to the
legislation. I support Tennessee’s concealed carry law because it requires a course in basic handgun safety. This legislation does not require training, although the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association has offered to provide the training at no charge,” remarked Gillespie.A graduate of High Point University, Gillespie is a native Memphian. He supports the mission of a local senior living facility by serving as Grant Coordinator. Gillespie began his career in banking and finance starting as a customer service representative at a local bank before working his way up to the mortgage division at another Memphis financial institution. He is a member of St. John’s Episcopal Church.
Representative Gillespie was elected to the District 97 seat in the House of Representatives in November. The district includes parts of Bartlett, Cordova, and East Memphis. More information about Gillespie may be found by visiting VoteJohnGillespie.com.
Lobbyists scramble as 27-page amendment to tech privacy bill surfaces
A Republican bill aiming to protect users’ privacy online strikes all the right chords with people tired of having their personal information harvested and sold to third party vendors. But the devil, as always, is in the details.
A bill sponsored by Rep. Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) and Sen. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) originally dealt with with campaign finance disclosures for corporations. But it opened 14 titles of the Tennessee Code — a classic caption bill that the serve as a vehicle for a wide variety of initiatives.
The amendment now circulating would set privacy requirements that could have far-reaching effects on a variety of businesses. There’s already talk of the measure becoming this year’s Lobbyist Full Employment Act.
Bid to oust judge over absentee voting ruling killed in House
The House Civil Justice Subcommittee has killed a resolution calling for the ouster of Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle for a ruling expanding access to absentee voting last summer.
The measure sponsored by Rep. Tim Rudd failed on a voice vote. The question was called on the measure despite the Murfreesboro Republican saying he wanted to roll the bill until next week. Rudd confronted Chair Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) after the meeting.
“You’re a disgrace!” Rudd told Farmer, bumping into a reporter standing between the two lawmakers.
The measure’s failure comes as a bit of a surprise as 67 Republicans were listed as co-sponsors. But the subcommittee included two Republicans members hadn’t signed on — Michael Curcio of Dickson and Johnny Garrett of Goodlettsville — and two Democrats who opposed the measure, Antonio Parkinson of Memphis and John Ray Clemmons of Nashville.
Rep. Bruce Griffey (R-Paris) demanded a roll call vote, but his motion didn’t come until the vote was already underway. He sought a recount after the fact, but Farmer had already gavelled the resolution dead.
One observer noted the fight over the ouster resolution could portend a splintering among the House Republican Caucus going forward. The extent of the fallout and the fate of inevitable resurrection attempts remain to be seen.
Beginning of the end? Senate sets Feb. 11 bill-filing deadline
The deadline to file bills in the Senate will be on Feb. 11, three days after Gov. Bill Lee delivers his third State of the State address. The House cutoff follows at close of business on Feb. 17.
While the deadline should theoretically set the parameters for the proposals lawmakers will take up this session, the proliferation of “caption bills” — legislation that opens broad sections of the code while leaving specific policy proposals to be made at a later date — means it’s never quite certain what will be debated until lawmakers adjourn for the year.
The bill filing cutoff is nevertheless a major milestone for each session, as it signals that lawmakers (who officially gaveled into the 112th General Assembly on Jan. 12) are finally preparing to go about their business.
Here are Sexton’s House committee assignments
House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) announced his committee appointments on Wednesday before the General Assembly adjourned its organizational session. Here they are:
AGRICULTURE AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
- Chair – Curtis Halford
- Vice Chair – Rusty Grills
- Mark Cochran
- Barbra Cooper
- Tandy Darby
- Clay Doggett
- GA Hardaway
- Bud Hulsey
- Chris Hurt
- Jason Potts
- Jay Reedy
- Iris Rudder
- Johnny Shaw
- Chris Todd
- Ron Travis
- Dave Wright
Agriculture and Natural Resources Subcommittee
- Chair – Chris Todd
- Mark Cochran
- Tandy Darby
- Curtis Halford
- Bud Hulsey
- Chris Hurt
- Jason Potts
- Jay Reedy
- Johnny Shaw
CIVIL JUSTICE COMMITTEE
- Chair – Mike Carter
- Vice Chair – Darren Jernigan
- Rush Bricken
- John Ray Clemmons
- Michael Curcio
- Rick Eldridge
- Andrew Farmer
- Johnny Garrett
- John Gillespie
- Bruce Griffey
- Torrey Harris
- Mary Littleton
- Brandon Ogles
- Antonio Parkinson
- Bob Ramsey
- Robin Smith
- Mike Stewart
Civil Justice Subcommittee
- Chair – Andrew Farmer
- Mike Carter
- John Ray Clemmons
- Michael Curcio
- Johnny Garrett
- Bruce Griffey
- Brandon Ogles
- Antonio Parkinson
Children and Family Affairs Subcommittee
- Chair – Mary Littleton
- Rush Bricken
- Mike Carter
- Rick Eldridge
- John Gillespie
- Torrey Harris
- Mike Stewart
