NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers are questioning a new rule that is limiting access to part of the observation gallery to those with special tickets issued by lawmakers.
Rep. Vincent Dixie (D - Nashville) is asking Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti for an opinion on the new rule. It was put in place on Tuesday by House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R - Crossville). The west side of the public gallery is limited to media members, staff and guests only allowed with a special ticket, under the new rules.
Representatives are given a ticket per day they can give to a guest. It comes after people packed into the gallery during demonstrations that happened throughout the previous special session, which called for lawmakers to implement gun restrictions.
The full inquiry from Dixie is available below.
Attorney General Skrmetti,
Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-6-109 (b)(6), my office would like to request a written legal opinion regarding public access to the Tennessee General Assembly.
Is a ticketing system that arbitrarily restricts public access to the House of Representatives chamber gallery permissible under the Tennessee Constitution Article II, Section 22?
Article II § 22 states: “The doors of each House and of committees of the whole shall be kept open, unless when the business shall be such as ought to be kept secret.”
Please contact my office if you have any questions about this matter. Thank you in advance for your response.
Sincerely,
Rep. Vincent Dixie
On Tuesday, lawmakers got a ticket each when they arrived at the Capitol. The east side of the House was filled with interns, some rows for parents of children who attended The Covenant School and activists. One activist was kicked out of the session after shouting during a moment of silence.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D - Nashville) told NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville that he was given short notice about the new ticket system.
“We didn’t know it was going to happen,” he said. “We found out less than an hour after we walked into the building that the general public was going to be barred effectively from this house.”
Clemmons said he hopes Sexton rethinks the policy. WSMV4 asked House Republicans and Speaker Sexton’s Director of Communications for a statement, which was not received by Wednesday evening.