TN GOP House Speaker Boots Dems From Committees For Insufficient Deference To White Supremacy The Tennessee Legislature, with Supreme Court approval, has disenfranchised Memphis’s majority-Black congressional district, shifting it to majority white and Republican. Following Democratic protests, including state Rep. Justin Jones burning a Confederate flag, Speaker Cameron Sexton removed all House Democrats from their committee assignments. Sexton cited the Democrats’ ‘indecorous’ behavior and alleged coordination with ‘paid protestors’ as justification for the punitive measures.

• The Tennessee Legislature has eliminated the state’s sole majority-Black congressional district, splitting Memphis into three majority-white, Republican districts.
• House Speaker Cameron Sexton removed all Democratic committee assignments in response to protests against the redistricting, which he deemed ‘indecorous’.
• Protests included Democrats linking arms, blocking aisles, and state Rep. Justin Jones burning a Confederate flag.
• Sexton accused Democrats of coordinating protests with ‘paid protestors and attendees in the gallery’.
• This action follows a similar move in 2023 where Sexton led the expulsion of Jones and Justin Pearson for protesting gun violence, though they were re-elected.
• State Rep. Gloria Johnson highlighted that removing committee assignments affects constituents, impacting their representation on issues like education, health, and justice.