Tennessee’s lieutenant governor believes a bill prohibiting local governments from returning expelled lawmakers to the legislature could fail a constitutional challenge.
The measure passed the Republican-controlled House last week on a party-line vote.
“While I am aware of the serious issues the bill attempts to solve, I may have concerns about the constitutional questions the legislation presents,” Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, said in a statement responding to the Tennessee Lookout. “The bill has yet to be considered in a Senate committee, so I have not yet witnessed any debate on the legislation. I personally would need to hear from the attorney general and other constitutional experts before I would be able to make a final determination on the bill.”
Despite those concerns, McNally isn’t planning to seek an attorney general’s opinion on the measure, which has not been scheduled for consideration in a Senate committee. The bill has to pass both chambers to reach the governor’s desk and become law.
The House passed the measure sponsored by Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, in apparent reaction to the 2023 ouster of Democratic Reps. Justin J. Pearson, of Memphis, and Justin Jones, of Nashville. The duo led an anti-gun violence rally on the House floor last March in the wake of The Covenant School shooting that killed six people, including three children.