State Rep. Torrey Harris (D-Memphis) and state Sen. Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma) look ready to prove out a rare project of bipartisan lawmaking. This week, it was Harris’ turn to marshal their shared legislation — an in-the-weeds bill enabling commercial driver’s license holders who owe child support to keep working with proper documentation — through the House Civil Justice Committee. On March 12, it easily cleared the Republican-controlled House Subcommittee on Children and Family Affairs.
Civil Justice Chair Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) brought it up at the end of Wednesday’s committee meeting. House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) dutifully kicked its tires, probing Harris with questions before sitting back, apparently satisfied. Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) commended Harris’ lawmaking.
Rep. Chris Todd (R-Jackson)
“We do have a long way to go with this, kind of like what the leader said,” Harris told colleagues. “Hopefully we will continue this work next year some more. Thank you for not killing my bill.”
With debate seemingly over, Rep. Jason Powell (D-Nashville) called for a vote.
Farmer presided over a procedural whirlwind lasting less than 20 seconds. Rep. Chris Todd (R-Jackson) indicated he had a last-minute question on the bill. Farmer asked Powell to withdraw his motion to accommodate Todd’s request — Powell did. Instead of asking Harris a question about CDLs or child support, he moved to adjourn the committee. Farmer laughed from the dais.
“Are there any objections to that?" said Farmer. "Members, all those in favor to adjourn, say, ‘Aye.'" A chorus of Republican ayes ended the meeting without a vote on the bill. Harris threw up his hands in frustration. Procedure rolled his bill to the following week.
“It’s a sad situation for Rep. Harris," Powell tells the Scene. "I should have just stuck with my original question, but I wanted to be respectful and honor the system. It’s just another sign that we have really moved away from respecting each other as members and, in my opinion, that we are moving to an authoritarian system where voices are silenced.”
Powell brought up another instance earlier this year when Republicans killed his bill on no-bid contracts without discussion.
“I didn’t even speak on the bill,” says Powell.
On Tuesday, House Criminal Justice Subcommittee Chair Clay Doggett (R-Pulaski) gaveled down a gun safety bill brought by Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), claiming it didn’t get a motion to be heard. It took Pearson a second to realize that Doggett hadn’t even asked for one.
Kicking out Democratic Reps. Pearson and Justin Jones (D-Nashville) made national headlines last year as a brazen attempt by Tennessee’s Republican supermajority to silence and control political opposition. Rules about the House gallery created during last year's special session limited public access to lawmaking and prompted constitutional concerns about Tennesseans’ First Amendment rights.
Democratic members were kicked out of House for leading anti-gun protest
Todd’s maneuver is one of several ways that GOP legislators have limited Democrats’ abilities to shepherd bills through the legislative process. Rather than defeat them by voting, Republican leaders — including state House Speaker Cameron Sexton — use procedural power to ignore Democrats’ requests to speak, defer their bills and quick-gavel over any objections. Several subcommittees include just one Democrat, effectively killing any bill that lacks a Republican “second” required for discussion.
Johanna Keohane, a Republican from Robertson County, witnessed the non-vote on Wednesday. During August’s special session, she started traveling to Nashville to watch House proceedings. She makes videos on TikTok about the legislature.
“There was good debate and questions from Rep. Lamberth and Rep. Parkinson,” Keohane wrote in an email to all members of the Civil Justice Committee on Thursday. “Honestly sitting in the seating area I thought this was a great bipartisan effort. I was proud to witness it. There is so much focus on decorum and respect for members of the House. Well, how was this respectful? It wasn’t respectful to Harris. It wasn’t respectful to Rep. Powell, and it wasn’t respectful to the people of Tennessee who you all represent.”
Harris, Farmer and Todd did not respond to the Scene's request for comment.
