NASHVILLE—The Chairman of the Tennessee House Democratic Caucus is slamming a move by the Republican supermajority to severely limit the ability of the general public to watch this week’s special legislative session in person. Under new rules in effect during this session, only one side of the House Chamber’s two viewing galleries will be open to the public. In addition, the number of people allowed in the rotunda outside the chamber will be reduced as well. This comes after hundreds of citizens gathered during March and April following the killing of three students and three staff members at The Covenant School. The families were demanding the legislature to take action and pass gun safety laws. Under the new rules, one side of the visitor’s gallery will only be open to “credentialed” individuals, which include lobbyists, members of the media and legislative staff.
Chairman John Ray Clemmons said this is a shocking and blatant attempt by the supermajority to deny the public access to House proceedings: “Our Republican colleagues often refer to this as the ‘People’s House,’ but it turns out they don’t want people in the House at all. Rather than allow Tennesseans inside their own State Capitol, they have cordoned off most of the rotunda and half the gallery for special interests. It gives you a pretty good idea who the supermajority actually represents and whose business they’re doing up here during this special session.”
