Capitol Notebook: Lawmakers returned to Nashville after protests, still at odds over plans – The Tennessean
The 111th Tennessee General Assembly resumed session last week in Nashville, where the city less than 48 hours before had seen peaceful protests turn violent.
The House and Senate got their first glimpse of Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed budget factoring in hundreds of millions of dollars in cuts while continuing to take different approaches to legislating. Meanwhile, leaders in both chambers joined the chorus of the state’s top Republicans urging the GOP to bring their 2020 convention to Music City.
The Senate, which has prohibited members of the public from attending its proceedings in person, is sticking to its guns on passing a much smaller number of bills than the House before adjourning.
Here’s how the resumption of session unfolded last week:
House members ‘need to let off a little steam,’ Lt. Gov. says
Despite leadership in both chambers insisting, when asked, that there is no beef between the House and Senate, their indirect comments tell a different story.
On Tuesday, House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, read a statement on the floor lambasting the Senate’s approach of only taking up a much more limited agenda.
Faison referred to the Senate as the “inferior chamber” and alleged they were deciding the fate of bills from inside a conference room, a practice that also occurs in the House.
Asked by The Tennessean on Thursday about the remarks, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said any tension is not coming from the Senate side.
“I think that some members of the House kind of need to let off a little steam,” he said.
“Sometimes you say things, and then after you think about it you apologize. But I’m not expecting anything.”
McNally clarified that he had not received an apology.
Members of the House have repeatedly expressed frustration that bills they are continuing to hear, vote on and pass are not being taken up by the Senate.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, R-Franklin, doubled down Thursday that his chamber would not be pressured into taking up legislation, including administration bills, that the governor has not requested during the coronavirus pandemic.
“The answer is no,” Johnson said about whether the House could talk the Senate into passing a permitless carry bill initially championed by Lee, but that the governor has now said is not a priority to pass.
“Unless and until the governor asks me to go forward with the bill, which he has not done, the bill will not advance,” Johnson said.
McNally noted the difference in approach and sense of urgency on some issues between the two chambers, in light of the House’s two-year election cycles and the Senate’s four-year terms.
“We try to take a longer view of things and because of their shorter terms, they have to take a more immediate view,” McNally said. “And that works to the advantage of the state.
“But sometimes it puts the chambers at odds.”
Ongoing downtown rallies have worried some members
With some lawmakers apparently concerned about safety after the May 30 protests and subsequent violence in Nashville, House Republicans implemented additional security protocols.
A reminder: the House is allowing members of the public into its chamber and the Cordell Hull legislative office building while the Senate is not, given its focus on what is considers essential-only bills.
House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, noted the change in a June 1 GOP caucus meeting, saying a shuttle would be available for members to take to and from their offices and living quarters.
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, said he made the request after having conversations with staff and lawmakers.
“If we’re going to have people down here who are trying to instigate riots and break windows and burn buildings and deface public property, as we’re allowing the public in here, we just want to make sure that we don’t have that clientele to come in with spray paint and other things,” Sexton said.
He said the additional security would likely include more people being screened with handheld metal detector wands and patted down.
Since House lawmakers have returned to Nashville on May 26, very few members of the public, aside from lobbyists, have attended their proceedings.
During the rally Thursday, several Democratic lawmakers walked down to protesters waiting on the Capitol steps, behind a barricade, to talk with them about their concerns. That list included Reps. Antonio Parkinson, Harold Love, London Lamar, Jason Hodges, Rick Staples and Sen. Jeff Yarbro.
Staffers, legislators scrambled to leave ahead of downtown rally
On Thursday, with protesters set to descend on the Capitol, legislative staffers were told they could end their day earlier than usual.
“Due to gatherings planned for later in the day, staff may leave the office at 3:30 p.m. to avoid traffic delays,” legislative administration director Connie Ridley said in an email. “Staff will not be charged leave for this change in schedule.”
Originally, the House was supposed to hold both a morning and afternoon floor session. Some members were set to return on Friday for the calendar and rules committee, which schedules bills to be considered on the House floor.
But those plans were accelerated, which some suspected was due to the looming protest anticipated to arrive at the statehouse around 4 p.m.
Sexton, the House speaker, said the scheduling changes were because the chamber moved faster than expected.
Asked if the acceleration was due to the protests, Sexton said, “No, I think it was we were more efficient, more effective this week, and we were able to get things through during a difficult week.”
Sexton said by moving the calendar committee to Thursday afternoon, taxpayers would be paying less for per diem, or lawmakers’ daily allowance. A similar approach was not taken the week before, with the calendar committee the lone panel to meet on Friday.
The House finance and calendar committees Thursday moved at breakneck speed.
The finance committee listened to a 30-minute presentation from Department of Finance and Administration Commissioner Butch Eley. Afterward, the panel’s chair, Rep. Susan Lynn, R-Mt. Juliet, asked Eley to return to the committee next week, saying they were time-limited.
“Due to circumstances beyond our control, we do have to end this meeting in about 10 minutes,” Lynn said after Eley concluded his presentation.
Minutes later, the rules committee rifled through its 58-item regular calendar in just 18 minutes.
“Let’s go Rep. Parkinson, move quick,” committee chairman Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville said at one point.
The week prior, the committee took 27 minutes to go through its 52-item calendar.
Here’s what else you should check out:.
- Gov. Bill Lee’s latest budget cuts pay raises to state employees, offers buyouts for workers
- Top GOP leaders won’t rule out using state money for RNC as Nashville mayor says no city funds available
- Former RNC lawyer: Nashville a ‘serious contender’ to host Republican National Convention
- Gov. Bill Lee asks Senate to pass bill ending Nathan Bedford Forrest Day requirement
- Tennessee House approves measure reducing campaign finance disclosures in election years
Reach Natalie Allison at nallison@tennessean.com. Follow her on Twitter at @natalie_allison.
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Published 6:00 AM EDT Jun 8, 2020
