NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It didn't take long for the House Civil Justice Subcommittee to shift into a display of civil disobedience Tuesday.
"Are we going to quiet down and listen or are we going to sit there and clap?" said Rep. Lowell Russell, who was immediately met with more applause from the audience. "Alright troopers, let's go ahead and clear the room."
The notice came after several warnings from Rep. Lowell, who chairs the subcommittee for the special session. Lowell was enforcing a rule, just put into place Monday by House members in their rules for the special session. It bans any type of political sign being held by the audience during an official proceeding. The gallery was told, only legislative staff members and reporters could remain inside.
"Who’s house? Our house," chanted many members of the audience that came representing Moms Demand Action, a gun reform group.
That wasn't the only tense moment in the meeting. During a debate on a bill that would allow retired law enforcement, military veterans and concealed carry permit holders to carry weapons in pre-K-12th grade schools, Rep. Chris Todd, R-Jackson, got hostile with Elizabeth Stroeker, a legislative liaison for the Tennessee Highway Patrol.
"Law enforcement that are about to retire or are already retired, that are begging us for this legislation so they can protect the children that are around them every single day. And you sit here as a representative of our governor," said Rep. Todd, before he was cautioned by Charman Russell.
"I don’t think I need to reply," is all Stroeker said in reply.
Rep. Todd's bill eventually passed to the next committee.
Many Republican lawmakers also refused to even debate a majority of the bills proposed by the Democrat, including a measure for local sheriffs to distribute gun locks, a bill to require the safe storage of a firearm, an Emergency Risk Protection Order for those deemed a threat to themselves or others from possessing a firearm and other similar measures.
The bills weren't debated because it takes two members of the committee to agree to debate. There was only one Democrat, Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, on the Civil Justice Subcommittee.
"Having one Democrat on the committee I’m sure was intentional," Rep. Parkinson said after the meeting.
That being said, Republicans did pass a few of their own bills — like providing civil immunity to gun owners who store their firearms safely, allowing private schools to create their own firearm rules and a lifetime order of protection for victims of stalking.
"The survivor, the victim of that crime, under this bill, would be able to get a lifetime order of protection and would not have to go every year to renew that," said Rep. William Lamberth, R-Portland and House Majority Leader.
More than a hundred bills were filed before the beginning of the session, but many have already been either withdrawn or defeated in the initial committee process. The House will host full committee meetings on Wednesday and plan to have a floor session on Thursday before they could consider adjourning and heading home.
