NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee House Republican leaders went on the defensive after surprising people who showed up to watch their lawmakers kick off this year’s work by asking some of them if they had a ticket to get in.
It’s a new, previously unpublicized requirement, and it’s fueling criticism that the GOP supermajority is silencing political views. House Speaker Cameron Sexton says the changes will guarantee seats for individuals arriving from outside the Capitol in Nashville. With 75 Republicans and 24 Democrats in the House, some Democrats are concerned that GOP will control public access to the chamber.
