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‘In complete violation’: Chattanooga senator threatens to go after charter of local GOP

John Partipilo, Tennessee Lookout / Lynne McFarland is held by one state trooper Tuesday while another calls for a police car for her. She was removed from the capitol, where she was opposing a bill to allow exclusion of unauthorized immigrant children from Tennessee schools, one of the bills for which the Hamilton County Republican Party is pushing for yes votes.
John Partipilo, Tennessee Lookout / Lynne McFarland is held by one state trooper Tuesday while another calls for a police car for her. She was removed from the capitol, where she was opposing a bill to allow exclusion of unauthorized immigrant children from Tennessee schools, one of the bills for which the Hamilton County Republican Party is pushing for yes votes. John Partipilo, Tennessee Lookout / Lynne McFarland is held by one state trooper Tuesday while another calls for a police car for her. She was removed from the capitol, where she was opposing a bill to allow exclusion of unauthorized immigrant children from Tennessee schools, one of the bills for which the Hamilton County Republican Party is pushing for yes votes.

The newly elected Hamilton County GOP leadership is taking stances on bills and urging Republican lawmakers to follow suit in their votes, according to social media posts and emails on the party’s official accounts.

The party is pushing for support of some locally sponsored GOP legislation, including a bill that would allow school districts to deny enrollment to unauthorized immigrant students, and is speaking out against others, including an abortion exception bill.

Two Hamilton County lawmakers and some local party members said advocating for or against legislation — especially GOP-backed legislation — is outside of the party’s responsibilities as written in its bylaws. New party leaders and their supporters disagree.

The party’s goals are listed on a new website replacing the previous leadership’s site.

One goal is to advocate for legislation to have closed primary elections, a topic heavily debated within the party.