On Tuesday, a video showing two women being escorted by state troopers from a Tennessee Capitol hearing room went viral. Their infraction: quietly holding small paper signs that read, “1 KID > ALL THE GUNS.” One of the women, Nashville gun safety advocate Allison Polidor, told The Associated Press, “I wasn’t saying anything. I wasn’t doing anything. I was holding up a sign.” Other women, including mothers directly affected by gun violence, cheered the suggestion of gun safety legislation, only to be cleared from the room as well.
On Wednesday morning, the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee filed a lawsuit on behalf of Polidor, Erica Bowton, and Maryam Abolfazli against Republican Speaker of the Tennessee House Cameron Sexton, Chief Clerk Tammy Letzler, Sergeant-At-Arms Bobby Trotter, and Matt Perry, who is colonel of the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The suit sought an injunction against the possibly unconstitutional restrictions imposed on the public by the Republican-controlled Legislature. NewsChannel 5’s Emily R. West reports that Chancellor Anne Martin has granted the temporary restraining order, making the enforcement of anti-sign restrictions illegal.
The best part is that Martin set the injunction hearing for Sept. 5, well after the end of the special legislative session called to address public safety, mental health, and gun violence.. So, whip out those signs!
Gun safety advocates were all over the news and immediately turned up with their signs, as seen in this tweet from The Tennessee Holler.
One piece of news from today’s session is that the state Senate tabled a bill that would have blocked the release of autopsy and medical examiner reports for child victims of violent crimes. This effectively ends this bill’s chances of being passed during this session.
Sign the petition: Denounce fascism in state legislatures
American political parties might often seem stuck in their ways, but they can and in fact do change positions often. Joining us on this week's episode of "The Downballot" is political scientist David Karol, who tells us how and why both the Democratic and Republican parties have adjusted their views on a wide range of issues over the years. Karol offers three different models for how these transformations happen—and explains why voters often stick with their parties even after these shifts. He concludes by offering tips to activists seeking to push their parties when they're not changing fast enough.