Image Credit: TN General Assembly
The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
HB0855 has been widely denounced across the state as it would strip both political parties of their right to hold caucuses or conventions to select their partisan candidates and mandate state-run primary elections. But it seems elected lawmakers had little concern for the objections of their constituents or the state Republican party as the bill was passed 60-25 on the House floor on Monday, April 14.
While a vast majority of counties in Tennessee already utilize standard primary elections to select their candidates, objections and criticisms of the bill have risen from county GOP chairs and individual citizens over the constitutionality of the legislature controlling private political parties and the recurring issue of illegal crossover voting as the Assembly continuously refuses to close primary elections.
The Tennessee GOP State Executive Committee (SEC) passed a resolution almost unanimously in opposition to HB0855, stating the legislation is a “betrayal of that trust” which Republican voters have placed in elected representatives to uphold party values and that the party stands against, “any legislative effort to strip political parties of their constitutional right to determine how their candidates are nominated” or violates the party’s right to “self-governance and freedom of association.”
Grassroots organization Tennessee Stands also recorded over 12,800 emails sent to legislators in objection to the bill through their website. The post urged Tennesseans to watch the House floor session to “find out if the General Assembly is listening to Cameron Sexton and Jack Johnson, or the People of Tennessee.”
But the voice of the people was ignored as during the House floor session, Rep. Lee Reeves (R-Franklin-District 65) made it clear he had no intention of heeding either the SEC’s or anyone else’s objections to the legislation as other members asked him questions.
When Rep. Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka-District 64) asked Reeves for comment on the SEC opposition resolution, Reeves replied, “I am aware the Republican SEC met over the weekend and they’re not a fan of the bill.”
Rep. Cepicky clarified, “So, your comment is you don’t care? Or you support the State Executive Committee’s position, or you want to ignore their position?”
Reeves answered, “I will stand with the voters. I will stand with the mom and the dad who can’t make it to a caucus. And I will stand with the military member who is on active duty overseas defending our right to vote but cannot vote in a caucus. And I will stand with the emergency healthcare workers who are on duty that night, and I will stand with the pregnant mother giving birth the night of that caucus. I will stand, and I hope Tennessee stands with me on that.”
Also rising in opposition to the bill, Rep. Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) asked, “After you saw the responses from the local GOPs did it sway your mind on this bill at all?” Reeves maintained, “No, I’m confident that this bill is the right thing for the voters in Tennessee.”
“So, no movement at all when you saw most of the GOP SEC members had an opposition to that?” Fritts pressed.
“I will stand with voters over party insiders any day of the week,” Reeves asserted.
From a legal perspective, Rep. Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood-District 61) objected to the bill citing a recent District Court ruling in Idaho as the state passed similar legislation. The court, applying Supreme Court precedent, decided that mandating primaries as a nomination process when the state has open primaries violates the right to freedom of association. “Primaries, yes, open primaries, no,” he concluded.
Greg Martin (R-Hamilton-District 26), the only Republican to speak in favor of the bill before the question was called, claimed Tennessee is number one in the nation for in election integrity, and it would behoove citizens to have all elections run under state control for that reason.
The final vote was 60-25 in favor of the legislation with two Democrats marking themselves Present Not Voting. As the Senate companion cleared the Senate 26-3 last week, the bill will now head to Gov. Lee for his signature.
Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
