{"id":2054692,"date":"2023-10-04T01:42:01","date_gmt":"2023-10-04T05:42:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-three-member-files-federal-suit-against-state-house-speaker\/"},"modified":"2023-10-04T01:45:51","modified_gmt":"2023-10-04T05:45:51","slug":"tennessee-three-member-files-federal-suit-against-state-house-speaker","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-three-member-files-federal-suit-against-state-house-speaker\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Tennessee Three&#8217; member sues State House Speaker in federal court."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">20<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftennessee-three-member-files-federal-suit-against-state-house-speaker%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2054692&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><blockquote>\n<div data-post-content=\"true\" class=\"post_content\" id=\"post_content\">\n<p>The Tennessee\u200c House of Representatives&#8217;\u2063 legislative \u2062session this year has been nothing short of chaotic. In April, State Rep. Justin Jones, a Nashville Democrat and\u2062 member of \u2063the &#8220;Tennessee Three,&#8221;\u2064 was ousted from the chamber by his colleagues. However, he\u200d didn&#8217;t back down. After staging a protest on\u200b the\u200b House\u2062 floor calling \u200dfor gun control following the Covenant School\u2062 Shooting, Jones was\u2062 reelected to his\u2062 seat. Now, he&#8217;s \u2063taking his \u200dfight to the next level by filing a federal complaint against Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Jones filed\u2064 the suit in U.S.\u2063 District Court for \u2062the Middle District of Tennessee on Oct. 2, \u200d<a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/tennessee-three-member-files-federal-suit-against-state-house-speaker\/\" title=\"'Tennessee Three' member sues State House Speaker in federal court.\">alleging civil rights violations including \u200bviolations<\/a> of the U.S. Constitution&#8217;s \u200cArticle \u200c1, First Amendment, and 14th Amendment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The lawsuit doesn&#8217;t stop\u2062 there. It also\u2062 names other\u2064 key figures in the House,\u2064 including\u200d the \u2064chief\u2063 clerk,\u200b the \u200dchief\u2063 sergeant at arms, and Daniel \u2064Hicks, the assistant\u200b chief clerk and parliamentarian who acted as a mediator between Jones\u2064 and Sexton during the session. According to Jones&#8217;\u200d attorney, these individuals have repeatedly blocked him from expressing his\u2064 views \u2064on critical issues, effectively \u200csilencing\u2062 dissenting voices and\u2063 violating \u2064both the Tennessee and U.S. Constitutions.<\/p>\n<p>In his complaint, Jones \u200bseeks relief\u200c for the &#8220;illegal and unconstitutional&#8221;\u200c actions taken against him and others in the Tennessee \u200dLegislature.\u200d He is demanding injunctive relief to stop further violations \u200cof\u200d his rights and full \u2063restoration of the benefits, rights, and privileges that were stripped from him. The lawsuit also\u2062 highlights \u200cthe alleged discriminatory treatment Jones faced due to his race.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Despite the gravity of the\u200b situation, \u200dneither Sexton&#8217;s office nor his attorney has responded to requests\u2062 for comment. It seems that the chaos in the Tennessee House \u200cof \u200dRepresentatives is far\u2063 from over.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Complaint&#8217;s Allegations<\/h2>\n<p>The complaint\u2063 alleges\u2062 that Jones&#8217; expulsion was part of a larger effort to suppress open discussion about gun control. According to the lawsuit, \u2063the proceedings were rigged against\u2062 him from the start, serving\u2063 as a pretext to silence his voice. Jones claims that he was not only robbed \u2063of committee appointments and seniority but\u2063 also forced \u200dto undergo \u2062the expense and burden of running for reelection.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>The lawsuit further reveals that \u2064during a contentious special\u200b legislative session in August, rules imposed \u200dby \u2062the Republican supermajority were draconian and unconstitutional, preventing Jones from participating in the debate. These actions have disenfranchised the citizens of his district,\u2063 denying them \u2063representation by the person\u2062 they elected to speak for them.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Race<\/h2>\n<p>In a striking revelation, Jones asserts that the attempts\u200d to silence \u2063him were not only politically motivated but also\u2063 discriminatory. He claims that he and another \u2062expelled \u2064representative,\u2062 Justin Pearson, who both represent \u200dmajority minority districts,\u2062 were targeted because of\u200c their \u200drace. Meanwhile,\u200b a white\u2063 representative aligned with Jones, \u200cGloria Johnson, \u200cwas spared expulsion despite engaging in similar protests.<\/p>\n<p>According to Jones, his\u200b 14th Amendment <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/group-our-vote-matters-is-suing-facebook-dominion-mark-zuckerberg-certain-state-officials-others-for-infringing-upon-right-to-vote-assemble-and-speak-freely-you-can-jo\/\" title=\"Group \u201cOur Vote Matters\u201d Is Suing Facebook, Dominion, Mark Zuckerberg, Certain State Officials, Others for Infringing Upon Right to Vote, Assemble and Speak Freely \u2013 You Can Join Too\">due process rights<\/a> were violated due to disparate racial treatment.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>&#8220;The government denied equal protection to Representative Jones\u2064 in treating him \u200ddifferently than similarly situated white\u2063 House members for the same conduct,&#8221; the lawsuit states.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>Special Session Censure<\/h2>\n<p>The lawsuit also highlights the censure vote against Jones \u200cduring a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/update-letter-by-ted-cruz-and-6-gop-senators-and-4-senators-elect-sign-letter-to-reject-election-call-for-election-commission-10-day-emergency-audit-takes-place\/\" title=\"UPDATE: Letter by Ted Cruz and 6 GOP Senators and 4 Senators-Elect Sign Letter to Reject Election \u2013 Call For Election Commission 10-Day Emergency Audit Takes Place\">special legislative session<\/a> on public safety. The rules adopted by the\u200b House included stricter punishments for \u2062being ruled out-of-order, leading to \u2064Jones&#8217; censure. He claims \u2064that this vote violated his rights.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<p>Furthermore, Jones alleges that \u200bHouse\u200b leaders prevented him from bringing up a motion for a vote of &#8220;no confidence&#8221;\u2062 against Sexton during additional business at the end of the special session. He\u2064 argues that \u200bhis\u200b censure \u2062was used as grounds to deny him this right. Additionally, Jones and other Democrats elected during later elections were not placed on committees, violating \u2064their due process rights.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> How does the lawsuit describe the role of\u200b the\u200b chief \u200dclerk, the chief sergeant at arms, and the assistant chief clerk and parliamentarian in obstructing Jones&#8217; legislative efforts?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u2063Ing for reelection after \u2063being expelled.<\/p>\n<p>Furthermore,\u200b Jones asserts that Republican leadership, including Speaker Cameron Sexton, is knowingly complicit in \u2064suppressing dissenting views and violating the First Amendment rights of \u2062lawmakers. The suit alleges that Sexton and other key figures in the House deliberately impeded Jones&#8217; ability to advocate for gun control legislation and marginalized his voice on critical issues.<\/p>\n<p>The\u200c lawsuit details several instances where Jones&#8217; attempts to participate in debates\u200d and offer amendments\u2064 were thwarted. \u200dIt highlights \u2062the\u200d role of the chief clerk, the chief\u200c sergeant \u200dat arms, and the assistant chief clerk and parliamentarian in obstructing Jones&#8217; efforts. These individuals are accused of selectively \u200denforcing rules and procedures to silence Jones and prevent him from fully representing his constituents.<\/p>\n<p>Jones&#8217; attorney argues that these actions not only violated the U.S. Constitution&#8217;s First and Fourteenth Amendments, \u2062which protect freedom of \u200bspeech and \u2062equal protection \u2062under the law, but \u200dalso Tennessee&#8217;s own constitutional provisions guaranteeing lawmakers \u200cthe right\u2062 to express \u2063their views freely. The complaint contends that Jones&#8217; expulsion and subsequent exclusion from participating in legislative activities were unconstitutional and amounted\u200c to an abuse \u200bof\u2064 power.<\/p>\n<p>In response, Jones is seeking immediate relief from the court. He demands \u200cinjunctions to \u2063prevent further violation of his rights and\u200c restoration \u200bof his privileges as a representative.\u2062 Additionally, Jones highlights the racial discrimination\u2062 he endured, alleging that he was unfairly targeted and treated differently based\u200c on his race.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the \u2064serious \u2063nature of\u200b these allegations, Speaker\u200d Cameron Sexton&#8217;s office and his attorney have\u200b remained silent,\u2062 refusing to comment on \u2064the lawsuit. \u200dThis lack of response only adds to\u200d the uncertainty surrounding the situation\u2063 and raises\u200b questions \u2064about transparency and accountability within the Tennessee House of Representatives.<\/p>\n<p>The outcome of this \u200bfederal complaint\u2062 will have far-reaching \u200bimplications for the state&#8217;s legislative process and the protection\u200c of\u200c lawmakers&#8217;\u200d rights. It \u200dwill determine whether dissenting voices can be silenced \u2064or if the fundamental\u200d principles of free speech and equal representation will prevail. In the midst of this chaos, it is essential that the court carefully considers the evidence presented \u200dand \u200censures that justice is served.<\/p>\n<p>As the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/oklahoma-approves-first-religious-charter-school-in-united-states\/\" title=\"First religious charter school approved in Oklahoma.\">legal battle unfolds<\/a>, the Tennessee \u2064House of Representatives must reckon\u200b with the grave accusations leveled against \u200dit. If these allegations are proven true, it would require a thorough reassessment of the chamber&#8217;s practices\u200b and\u2063 a commitment to upholding the values enshrined in both \u2064the Tennessee and \u2063U.S. Constitutions. Only then can the chaos\u2063 subside, and the legislators \u2063regain the trust of the people they were elected to\u200b serve.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Tennessee House of Representatives&#8217; tumultuous legislative session persists as a member of the &#8220;Tennessee Three&#8221; files a federal complaint against House Speaker Cameron Sexton. Rep. Justin Jones, a Nashville Democrat, was previously ousted but later reelected.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1627,"featured_media":2054693,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2054692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054692","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1627"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2054692"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2054692\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2054693"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2054692"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2054692"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2054692"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}