This is a live blog tracking what is expected to be the final day of Tennessee’s special session called by Gov. Bill Lee for congressional redistricting to ensure an additional Republican seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. Read recaps from day one and day two, and see all of our coverage of the state legislature at this link.
9 a.m.
After protesters marched to the Capitol, the House convened first on Thursday morning.
Amber Sherman, Memphis resident and Tennessee’s lead organizer for Black Voters Matter, made the drive to Nashville to protest the Republican-led redrawing of her district.
New map would also keep Nashville split into three districts
“We want [legislators] to know that we're not going down without a fight,” said Sherman. “It’s really important to us that we make our voices heard as they try to silence our voices.”
Sherman described the redrawing of the maps as yet another form of state overreach into Memphis — which has also included a takeover of Memphis-Shelby County Schools and a call from Gov. Bill Lee and President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops to the city.
“Our state has continued to try to attack Memphis from every single angle, from taking over our school board to the Memphis Safe Task Force in Memphis [that is] right now still operating, that's unjustly discriminating against Black and brown people, pulling us over.”
9:55 a.m.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol removed demonstrators from the House gallery while Democrats read aloud their amendments to stop redistricting efforts.
KeShaun Pearson — the brother of 9th Congressional District candidate and state Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) — was arrested for refusing to leave the gallery as it was cleared. The Scene followed state troopers to a white van, in which KeShaun Pearson was to be taken to the Davidson County Downtown Detention Center for booking.
Rep. Justin Pearson was in the gallery, yelling at troopers when he was arrested. His charge wasn’t immediately clear.
Meanwhile, Democrats continued to present their 37 amendments on the House floor. The amendments are one of few avenues Democrats have amid a Republican supermajority to voice their opposition. All of the Democrats’ amendments to House Bill 7001 failed.
Democrats said repeatedly they believe the process has been rushed and has failed to consider public input.
Rep. Pearson returned to the floor to present an amendment to the process. That ultimately failed.
Republicans’ HB 7001 passed on the House floor, setting up the application and requirements process for congressional candidates. The qualifying deadline for candidates is May 15 at noon. The parties have two days following the deadline to validate bona fide candidates.
Protesters chant as lawmakers enter the chambers at the Capitol, May 7, 2026.
10 a.m.
The Senate convened after the House to begin moving the redistricting bills through their final phase.
Lawmakers passed HB 7002 out of both chambers, removing the provision of a previous law that would have prevented the state from redrawing the districts at this time.
10:30 a.m.
The Senate paused to wait for the next legislation to come over from the House.
10:45 a.m.
The House also passed HB 7005, which would set up a payment structure for the special session. The legislation would allow local election commissions to ask the state to reimburse costs accrued in changes to elections after redrawing the congressional lines. Lawmakers set aside $3.15 million to help local governments tell voters the lines have changed if the new map is approved.
During the process of HB 7003, Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) said the Senate was the primary mapmaker for the new lines. He said the map was drawn based on politics and population.
“This gives us the first time to have an all-Republican delegation,” Zachary said. “This gives us the first time in history to send a Republican delegation from Tennessee.”
Rep. Jesse Chism (D-Memphis) questioned Zachary about the maps, noting that constituents of the newly redrawn 9th Congressional District would be both his and Zachary’s.
“History is going to show the wrong thing was done today,” Chism said.
Protesters chant in the House balcony at the Capitol, May 7, 2026.
11 a.m.
The second bill passed out of both chambers is HB 7005, after the Senate vote occurred along party lines.
The third piece of legislation to pass was HB 7001 with another party-line vote.
11:15 a.m.
During discussion of HB 7003, Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) had a suggestion for the legislature.
“Let Memphis secede,” he said.
He said if the legislature is going to “pound on Memphis,” then the state no longer needs their tax dollars.
“Black representation was not given freely,” Parkinson said. “Some of you say that you’re my friend. But the shame is all over your face. Perhaps the legislature should explain why Memphis should be part of the state of Tennessee. Don’t hide behind the maps. Let Memphis secede from the state of Tennessee. Let my people go. I am dead-ass serious. Allow us out.”
11:45 a.m.
The House passed HB 7003, the bill that officially redraws the maps. Democrats moved into the well and walked out of the chamber.
The Senate then took up the bill.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair London Lamar (D-Memphis) was the first to ask questions of co-sponsor Sen. John Stevens (R-Huntingdon). She asked if Stevens knew if Memphis and Shelby County were predominantly Black. He responded that he did not and emphasized the repeated statement of Republicans that the maps were drawn without racial data.
“This is an insult to Memphis, this is an insult to the Black community,” said Lamar from the Senate floor. “Memphis matters in our economy. Memphis matters in the history of our country. … Representation is not just about geography, it is about accountability.”
“You are creating chaos on purpose,” she added. “This is not conservative; this is cowardice. … Your vote today will forever be carved in the history of this state. That you will potentially vote to take the vote away from an African American community because you couldn’t earn it on your own.”
Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) next spoke against the legislation. She began by asking Stevens questions and calling for protesters outside to remain quiet so lawmakers could get their questions answered clearly on the record. Democrats announced their intent to sue over the legislation at the outset of the special session.
“You cannot tell me this is just about political representation and partisan politics, while actively breaking apart one of the most historically significant Black political communities in Memphis,” Akbari said.
She yielded the rest of her time to Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville), who began by calling into question the actual political makeup of the split district.
Yarbro said the map doesn’t maximize the political split, claiming it divides Memphis Democrats 8 percent to the future 5th Congressional District, 70 percent to the 9th Congressional District and leaves the 8th Congressional District seemingly as a swing vote.
12:30 p.m.
“I'm running — I’m enraged,” Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) tells the Scene. Behn, who ran in last year’s special election for the 7th Congressional District, has not decided what district she’d run in this year, and is considering the changes to the maps.
Debate continued in the Senate as each of the Democrats stood to speak against the legislation.
“For most of this country’s history, Black Tennesseans were locked out of political power by law, by violence,” said Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville). “And by design, the 9th District was the recognition of that history and acknowledgement that representation matters, that it has to be built. … This map cracks the 9th District into pieces, then distributes those pieces into surrounding Republican districts and calls it redistricting. It's not redistricting, it's erasure.”
Sen. Sara Kyle (D-Memphis) said she paced the floor last night thinking about what to say.
“I am hurt — this is hard,” said Kyle. “Not only did you divide our community, you almost perfectly put 32 percent [of Memphis’ population] in each district.”
12:52 p.m.
Sen. Charlane Oliver (D-Nashville) stood on the Senate floor and said there’s nothing normal about what’s happening at the Capitol this week.
“There is no legal obligation that required this body to convene this week,” said Oliver. “The only thing that changed is that the Supreme Court removed the last legal protection standing between Black voters in Tennessee in its supermajority’s naked ambition, and you moved within hours.”
Oliver ran out of time, and when her mic was cut, the Senate Democrats went to the well while she stood on her desk with a sheet reading “No Jim Crow 2.0” and sang "Lift Every Voice and Sing.”
Around 1:20 p.m., the Senate conformed to HB 7003 and passed the legislation along party lines, adjourning the session amid the demonstration.
This article is published as a partnership between sister publications the Nashville Scene, the Nashville Post and the Williamson Scene. Julianne Akers, Hamilton Matthew Masters, Nicolle S. Praino, D. Patrick Rodgers and Emily R. West contributed reporting.
