When examining the state of national politics and the federal government, there’s much to be concerned about, including President Donald Trump’s enthusiasm for deporting people legally in the country — and possibly, in the near future, U.S. citizens.
Concerned about freedom of the press? You might find it hard not to be if you note the Trump administration tried to ban the Associated Press — the gold standard for professional and fair journalism — from press conferences and has inserted right- wing bloggers in order to get favorable coverage.
It’s easy to get caught up in the doom spiral of national news, but Tennesseans would be better served, if no less sane, by turning from the scary and shiny objects in Washington, D.C., and back towards home, where members of the Tennessee General Assembly eagerly pursue a similarly anti-democratic agenda.
Monitoring the actions of state lawmakers won’t make you feel less frustrated, but you have greater access to state representatives and senators near you to voice your concerns.
Anti-immigration measures take priority
Gov. Bill Lee called a special legislative session in January presumably to push his universal school voucher program, but many political observers were surprised when Lee also added to his agenda three other items — in itself unusual, as special sessions are customarily devoted to one topic.
While vouchers remained a priority, almost as much attention was given to what Lee termed his “illegal immigration agenda.”
The legislature created a state immigration agency that would be exempt from public records law, a measure allowing public officials to be prosecuted if they vote for sanctuary city policies — which is unconstitutional, to say nothing of fact sanctuary cities have been illegal in Tennessee since 2018 — and requires immigrants in the state without permanent legal status to have driver’s licenses that mark them as such.
“The Nazi Germans did this to the Jews,” said Democratic Sen. Charlane Oliver of Nashville, referring to the Star of David sewn into clothing.
Did Republican lawmakers go far enough to make immigrants feel harassed and unwelcome? Apparently not.
As soon as the special session ended and the regular one got into full swing, Republican lawmakers began filing anti-immigrant bills right and left, including:
Senate Bill 227/House Bill 11: Sponsored by Sen. Brent Taylor of Memphis and Rep. Rusty Grills of Newbern, the bill would hold churches and charitable organizations liable for providing housing aid to immigrants without legal status — who then go on to commit a crime. It has passed both chambers and is set to become law.
Senate bill 836/House Bill 793 : Sen. Bo Watson, a Chattanooga Republican, is carrying a piece of legislation that would require public schools to verify the immigration status of Tennessee’s nearly 1 million students and would give schools the option of charging students without permanent legal status tuition or denying them an education. The House version, sponsored by Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland, hit snags and may not pass.
Senate Bill 1087 /House Bill 0177: A bill making it a crime for immigrants without legal status to remain in the state for more than 72 hours stalled out in the Senate and was deferred until 2026. Senate sponsor Jack Johnson of Franklin acknowledged the measure is unconstitutional — although that has rarely stopped lawmakers with a bee in their collective bonnet.
Media matters
The year has been marked by fewer large-scale protests in the Capitol than the two years prior, but plenty of small protests — there have been more disruptions in committee meetings than Comcast has during spring storms — and on several occasions, women protesting against anti-immigration measures have been carried out by Tennessee state troopers.
But sometimes, even members of the media are challenged trying to cover proceedings.
For some years, reporters have been able to freely enter the House of Representatives, as long as they stationed themselves behind a dingy plexiglass barrier near the dais, separating them from the power brokers.
No more. Now, reporters must be on a list guarded by House sergeants-at-arms, and even reporters who are members of the Capitol Hill Press Corps can’t count on being listed. At times in the last two years, Lookout reporters have been turned away despite being recognized by officials working the door, requiring a direct call from the chair of the Capitol Hill Press Corps to gain entry.
And earlier this month, members of the media were denied access to the Senate gallery. A spokesman for Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said troopers who provide security and sergeants-at-arms were concerned about “exceptional interest in the day’s proceedings” and turned media away as gallery capacity was reached.
In that instance, McNally’s staff did, within minutes, take steps to allow reporters and photographers into the gallery.
But it shouldn’t be that difficult for reporters to be able to enter public chambers to do their jobs.
Is this a chicken or egg issue? Are Tennessee’s Republican lawmakers emboldened by Trump’s example or would they have arrived at these steps on their own? That’s hard to say, since Trump’s influence has permeated Republican-led legislators for nine years — only six years after Republicans became the Tennessee Legislature’s supermajority.
And I’m not sure the genesis matters, because here we are. But for Tennesseans who are weary of the flood of national bad news and a feeling of helplessness, there’s a cure of sorts. Turn your TV off, look away from Washington, D.C., and turn your sights to home — where your vote has a more direct impact on those same Trump-like policies and those perpetrating them.
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