Tennessee congressional delegation recoils at Capitol incursion
U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-Nashville), who called for active duty troops to be activated to quell social unrest during last year’s campaign, is denouncing the breach of the U.S. Capitol by demonstrators supporting President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn his electoral loss.
“What is happening at the U.S. Capitol right now is not peaceful, this is violence,” Hagerty said in a tweet. “I condemn it in the strongest terms. We are a nation of laws and this must stop.”
Fellow Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Brentwood) soon followed suit:
Other members of the Tennessee delegation have also been tweeting about the events:
House drops proposal to have AG prosecute protest crimes, cost per conviction projected at $500K
The state House has dropped a proposal to give the state Attorney General the power to prosecute crimes committed by protesters.
The Daily Memphian reports House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) dropped the provision after hearing concerns from the District Attorneys General Conference.
Under the bill enhancing penalties for various unruly behavior, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation could be called in.
Attorney General Slatery Herbert Slatery’s office said the legislation reflects a “widely held sentiment that laws be enforced” if state prpoerty is damaged or law enforecement agents are injured.
“If the General Assembly wants us to take on additional responsibilities, there will be a number of steps to consider. If requested, we will obviously engage in those discussions,” said AG spokeswoman Samantha Fisher.
The fiscal note on the bill enhancing penalties for illegal camping on state property to a Class E felony places the cost for each conviction at more than $500,000. But nobody has been convicted under the existing illegal camping laws over the last five years, leading Fiscal Review to deem the impact to be “not significant.”
UPDATE: The Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday amended its version of the bill to decrease the severity of the crime from a felony to a misdemeanor.
Protesters blocked from entering Capitol while Senate candidate hobnobs with lawmakers
State troopers rushed to block demonstrators from entering the state Capitol on Monday. Meanwhile on the inside of the building, U.S. Senate candidate Bill Hagerty pressed the flesh with Republican lawmakers inside the building.
Great visit to the Tennessee State Capitol this evening. Our Republican majority is hard at work representing our conservative Tennessee values. pic.twitter.com/pQTpxPvR9U
— Bill Hagerty (@BillHagertyTN) June 15, 2020
The protesters were given several reasons for why the couldn’t attend Monday’s floor session, including that House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) had closed the building to visitors and that the THP was concerned protesters had previously been involved in defacing the building. The Senate side of the Capitol complex has been closed to all visitors since the General Assembly returned from its coronavirus hiatus.
HAPPENING NOW: Troopers rush to block protesters from coming up to the Tennessee Capitol. At least one person is handcuffed. pic.twitter.com/HpsGcmZTAa
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) June 15, 2020
Later on Monday night, 21 protesters were removed from the Capitol complex for violating a camping ban.
Tennessee politicos react to upheaval
Nashville Mayor John Cooper walks by the Metro Courthouse damaged during weekend protests on May 31, 2020 (Erik Schelzig, Tennessee Journal)
Here’s how some elected officials reacted to statewide protests that included clashes with police, vandalism, and fires.
Violence and vandalism that occurred this weekend tears at the fabric of our community and stands in stark contrast to effective, peaceful protests that are foundational to our country.
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) May 31, 2020
Looting and burning the courthouse by a few dishonors the peaceful protest of thousands against racial discrimination and police brutality. @GovBillLee and @JohnCooper4Nash are right to call on the National Guard to restore order and allow Nashville to heal and rebuild.
— Sen. Lamar Alexander (@SenAlexander) May 31, 2020
Protests held in cities around Tennessee over coronavirus response
Protests were held in Tennessee cities over the weekend to demand an end to shelter-in-place and social distancing requirements put in place amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
They included about 300 demonstrators rallying outside the state Capitol in Nashville, The Tennessean reports. The protests came as Tennessee’s confirmed coronavirus cases exceeded 7,000, including 148 deaths.
“We’re all here for one reason,” Kim Edwards, a Nashville rally organizer, announced. “And it’s our rights. It’s our freedom.”
The protests followed tweets from President Donald Trump on Friday calling for people to “liberate” states like Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia, where similar protests had taken place.
One of the protesters in Nashville appeared to be none other than former Rep. Jeremy Durham (R-Franklin), who was thrown out of the General Assembly following allegations of serial sexual misconduct.
Looks like expelled former Rep. Jeremy Durham was at today’s protest in Nashville, according to this clip from @WKRN. If him, it would likely be Durham’s first appearance at the state Capitol since his 2016 expulsion when he faced allegations of sexually harassing 22+ women pic.twitter.com/wwNbIwjFtF
— Joel Ebert (@joelebert29) April 20, 2020
Casada’s office orders removal of women protesting Rep. Byrd
House Speaker Glen Casada’s office ordered troopers to remove six women holding signs protesting Rep. David Byrd’s chairmanship from a committee meeting.
NOW: trooper says Speaker Glen Casada’s office has asked them to have women move who are in Rep. David Byrd’s committee meeting holding 8×11” signs and speaking to lawmakers during recess. pic.twitter.com/kbCI738Umz
— Natalie Allison (@natalie_allison) February 26, 2019
The Associated Press reports the women sitting in the audience held signs at face-level reading “Enough is enough,” “Take a stand,” and “Protect constituents.” Three women have accused Bryd of sexual misconduct when they were teenage basketball players and he was their their 28-year-old high school basketball coach.
One of the women, Christi Rice, has since recorded a call to Byrd in which the lawmaker apologizes for unspecified transgressions. He has denied anything happened with other students.
“I wish I had a do-over because I promise you I would have corrected that and that would’ve never happened,” Byrd said in the recorded call. “But I hope you believe me when I say that it’s one of those things that I think about it all the time, and I always ask forgiveness for it and I hope you forgive me.”
Casada’s predecessor, Beth Harwell, had demanded Byrd’s resignation after the allegations were first aired by WSMV-TV last year. But Casada has deemed the allegations to be “fake news” and appointed Byrd chairman of an education subcommittee after he was overwhelmingly re-elected in November.
Protesters disrupt Roe campaign event; he vows to ‘bury’ Democrats
Over a dozen people protesting President Trump’s immigration policies “crashed” U.S. Rep. Phil Roe’s official announcement of his re-election campaign Monday, reports the Johnson City Press. One of them was a Democrat seeking her party’s nomination for the 1st Congressional seat. Roe subsequently told supporters he wants to “bury” Democrats in November.
Nashville police arrest 21 protesters near state capitol
Nashville police arrested 21 protesters near the state Capitol complex on Monday, contending they were obstructing public passage through city streets, reports The Tennessean.
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Fitzhugh buys Titans tickets in response to Black boycott
Press release from Craig Fitzhugh campaign
House Democratic Leader and candidate for Governor, Craig Fitzhugh has bought Tennessee Titans Season Tickets after Republican candidate for Governor Diane Black returned hers because of her unwillingness to support several Titans’ players right to free speech.
Rally at UT brings 45 white nationalists, 250 protesters, 200 law enforcement officers
About 45 white nationalists showed up for a Saturday rally on the University of Tennessee Knoxville campus that was led by Matthew Heimbach, leader of a group known as Traditionalist Worker Party, reports the News Sentinel. So did 250 people protesting white nationalists and about 200 law enforcement officers from four different agencies.
There were no arrests, though six people were issued tickets for obstructing a highway during the protests, according to University of Tennessee Police Chief Troy Lane.
