NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After a loud and chaotic week, there was finally a little calm Friday at the Tennessee State Capitol. But Sarah Shoop Neumann knows that calm only lasts until Monday when lawmakers will return for the second week of the special session. "We will be here when they gavel back in," Neumann said.
Neumann and other Covenant School moms have had a front-row seat to it all — from fierce fights over legislation to chaos in committee hearings when protestors were removed for holding 8 x 11 signs. Later, a Nashville chancellor ordered a temporary suspension of the House rule against signs, and they returned in full force to the capitol.
"It just triggered a level of anxiety I wasn’t expecting. I think it took me back to March 27th, when I was running down Hillsboro Pike, and I saw all the officers there," Neumann said.
The mother of a six-year-old is thankful her child wasn't in the Covenant School building the day a mass shooter killed six innocent people. But the aftermath of the tragedy, for the whole school community, has been its own challenge. "People have become a shell of who they used to be, there’s children who can’t sleep at night who are trying to form safety plans in their house -- asking their parents where they would hide," Neumann said.
But now, the Tennessee House and Senate are deadlocked. The Senate plans to only pass four bills and then go home. The House is still actively considering 28 bills. One chamber will have to acquiesce, or lawmakers could adjourn without passing any law. "It is frustrating in that I feel like there were some really good bills that were put forth," said Neumann.
TN House Majority Leader Rep. William Lamberth hopes the Senate will change their minds and claims he's willing to keep the session open until they do. "I’ll stay until hell freezes over to serve the people of Tennessee and serve these families and help them," said Rep. Lamberth (R-Portland.)
NewsChannel 5 asked Lamberth if that meant extending the special session beyond Monday next week. "Absolutely," replied Lamberth.
Whether the impasse ends next week or next legislative session, the Covenant moms say they'll be here — whether the Capitol is loud or calm. "We’ve got a determination that’s not going anywhere," said Neumann. "Every year after that until God calls us home."
Neumann adds their nonprofit, Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows, plans to fundraise and grow even more before the next regular legislative session. She hopes they'll be a political force to be reckoned with for years to come.
