Tennessee GOP Punishes Democrats for Capitol Protests and Gun Control Advocacy

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton has stripped two Democratic lawmakers of their committee assignments and restricted their access to legislative facilities after they led a protest in support of gun control at the Capitol last week. Sexton confirmed that other sanctions, including expulsion from the body, are on the table. The three lawmakers approached the podium between bills without being recognized to speak, breaching the chamber’s rules of procedure. They led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform.