Nashville, TN - The 114th Tennessee General Assembly wasted no time getting to work. Just three days into the session, after fierce debates, the House passed new rules on how that body operates.

New procedures approved on Thursday, January 16, 2025, give House Speaker Cameron Sexton more power. The House Speaker now has the authority to limit, silence, and even eject members of the House.

If a representative becomes disruptive, their speaking time could be limited on the first offense and silenced for up to two days on the second offense. Following baseball’s "third time and you’re out" rule, the situation could end with the ejection of the representative from the floor. That person would still be able to vote remotely but would do so from a location where they could only watch the proceedings on video and not make any comments.

Ejection is not limited to House members. The new regulations extend to spectators. If they create a commotion, the spectator can be banned from the chamber for two days. The second offense could oust them for the remainder of the session.

Tennessee lawmakers had a thorough debate on these issues, and then with the push of the electronic vote button, the new House Rules Package was passed. This history-making ruling changes the way the Tennessee State House operates.

You can get the pulse of the Rutherford County delegation on this monumental change and other issues before the 114th General Assembly with the monthly radio broadcast on WGNS featuring Rutherford County’s state senators and representatives. As in previous years, that will continue to be on the last Friday morning of each month from 8:15-9:00 AM while the General Assembly is in session. The first broadcast this year will be Friday, January 31, 2025. The public can phone or text the radio station at 615-893-1450 to ask questions about issues that concern them.