Trending Now - Tennessee House Democrats Lose Committee Roles After Disruptions
WHO:
WSMV - House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) signed the letter removing Democratic lawmakers from their committee assignments.
WSMV - State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) stated, “This is the same pattern of racial discrimination and authoritarian abuse we have come to expect.”
WSMV - House Minority Leader Karen Camper (D-Memphis) described the letters as feeling “like being stabbed in the back, then having the knife pushed in deeper and turned to finish the job.”
WSMV - House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R), House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), Gabby Salinas (D-Memphis), Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Sen. London Lamar.
WHAT:
WZTV - The letter from Speaker Sexton stated that members of the Democratic Caucus would receive individual letters removing them from all standing committees and subcommittees of the House, except where membership is required.
CNN - The Republican-controlled Tennessee House approved a new congressional map that is likely to flip the Democratic-held seat to Republicans in the upcoming November midterm elections.
WSMV - House Speaker Cameron Sexton stated that the committee removals are “due to actions taken” by the members during last week’s special session over redistricting, which he described as “aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative processes and creating disorder on the House Floor.”
WZTV - The letter to House Democratic Leader Karen Camper indicated that she would only remain on the Government Operations Committee, as required under House rules.
CNN - The Republican-controlled Tennessee House approved a new congressional map that dismantles a Black-majority district in the US House of Representatives built around Memphis, which is likely to flip the Democratic-held seat to Republicans in upcoming elections.
WSMV - All members of the House Democratic Caucus were removed from their committees and subcommittees.
WZTV - The removals were due to disruptions during a special session on congressional redistricting.
WZTV - Specific actions cited included interlocking arms, blocking aisles, encouraging disruptions with protesters, and using prohibited props and noisemakers.
WSMV - Justin Jones stated he received the removal letter for protesting against a "white supremacist agenda."
WSMV - Justin Pearson claimed the removal strips nearly 2 million Tennesseans of representation.
WSMV - Gabby Salinas expressed she would "do it again" despite her removal from committees.
WHERE:
WSMV - Tennessee House of Representatives, Nashville, Tennessee.
WHEN:
WZTV - The letter from Speaker Sexton to Leader Camper was dated May 12, 2026.
WHY:
WZTV - Speaker Sexton accused Democratic lawmakers of “instigating and encouraging disruptions...in coordination with paid protestors and attendees.”
CNN - The redrawing of the congressional district was compared by opponents to a throwback to the Jim Crow era of racial discrimination in the Deep South.
WSMV - Speaker Sexton stated the removals were due to actions that aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative processes.
WZTV - The disruptions occurred during a contentious special session where new congressional district maps were debated and approved.
HOW:
WZTV - Individual letters were sent to lawmakers informing them they had been removed from committee assignments, with specific examples of actions leading to the removals cited in the letters.
WZTV - Individual letters were sent to lawmakers informing them of their removals from committee assignments, with specific examples of actions leading to the removals cited in the letters.
WSMV - The removals were executed through individual letters sent to each Democratic lawmaker.
(UPDATED May 13, 2026 23:21 UTC)
House Speaker Cameron Sexton has signed a letter removing Democratic lawmakers from their committee assignments, a move that State Rep. Justin Jones described as part of a troubling pattern of racial discrimination and authoritarian abuse. House Minority Leader Karen Camper expressed her dismay, saying the letters felt “like being stabbed in the back, then having the knife pushed in deeper and turned to finish the job.” This decision comes alongside the approval of a new congressional map by the Republican-controlled Tennessee House, which is expected to flip a Democratic-held seat to Republicans in the upcoming November midterm elections.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 13:42 UTC)
In a significant move, House Speaker Cameron Sexton announced that several members were removed from their committee assignments due to their actions during last week’s special session on redistricting, which he claimed aimed to disrupt legislative processes. The Republican-controlled Tennessee House has also approved a new congressional map that dismantles a Black-majority district in Memphis, raising concerns among opponents who liken it to the Jim Crow era of racial discrimination. Individual letters were sent to lawmakers detailing their removals, citing specific actions that led to these decisions.
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(UPDATED May 13, 2026 07:52 UTC)
In a significant move, all members of the House Democratic Caucus in Tennessee have been removed from their committees and subcommittees following disruptions during a special session on congressional redistricting. Speaker Cameron Sexton cited actions such as blocking aisles and using prohibited props as reasons for the removals, which Democratic representatives like Justin Jones and Justin Pearson argue strip nearly 2 million Tennesseans of their representation. Despite the backlash, Gabby Salinas stated she would "do it again," emphasizing her commitment to protest against what she described as a "white supremacist agenda."