The week in politics: Sowing seeds for gun reform in Tennessee and chronicling Capitol corruption

Tennessee clergy acknowledged the prayers of hundreds for substantive gun reform legislation didn’t come to fruition, but say their efforts weren’t altogether futile.

“We can be honest and say we didn’t get what we wanted to see happen,” the Rev. Cherisna Jean-Marie, a Nashville minister, said Wednesday. “But seeds were planted.”

Following the conclusion of the special session, Jean-Marie and three other local clergy, a national faith-based organizer and a Vanderbilt University senior spoke at a news conference organized by the Southern Christian Coalition about what they saw as inaction by the General Assembly.

“I believe that something is happening in the spiritual realm that perhaps we don’t see manifesting just yet,” added Jean-Marie, founder and CEO of The Co-Conspirator Institute, which works with victims of gun violence. “But something is happening here in Tennessee.”

Last week, on the first day of the special session, hundreds of clergy and other Tennesseans of faith gathered for a prayer vigil. Following a group prayer, participants processed to the state Capitol and surrounded it. The group held hands to create a human chain and sent through individual prayers like an electric current.

Reflecting on that prayer vigil and the subsequent events of the special session, the clergy at Wednesday’s news conference said prayer is important for different reasons. The clergy didn’t organize the prayer vigil with a single goal in mind, such as seeking God’s intervention to ensure the passage of sweeping gun reform.

“It’s not just us putting out words and prayers and intentions and requests. It is opening space for a dialogue,” the Rev. Morgan Gordy with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) said at the news conference. “I saw that time around the Capitol also as an invitation, a holy invitation to those inside the hall.”

Gordy and the Rev. Mark Thompson, an organizer with Repairers of the Breach, a national faith-based advocacy group, said it was also up to lawmakers to heed those prayers.

“They didn’t have to be there holding our hands, but they had to be open to receiving prayers and encounter that presence of the divine," Gordy said.

Hemmer donates special session per diem to nonprofits

Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville, says he will donate his state salary from the special legislative session to two gun reform nonprofits: Voices for a Safer Tennessee and Rise and Shine TN.

“I cannot in any good conscience accept a salary for a week of unproductive disputes, wasted resources, and not a single bill that effectively addresses our community's need for sensible gun reform,” Hemmer said in a statement.

Each of the groups will receive $250. Hemmer said he will continue to advocate for gun reform measures, including safe storage, when the legislature returns in January.

“I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated with the lack of action at the Legislature," he said. "My Democratic colleagues and I returned to the Capitol with the goal of fighting for Emergency Risk Protection Orders, truly significant investments in access to mental healthcare, and strong legislation that would address Tennessee’s problems with secure storage and gun theft but instead we gaveled out without passing anything substantive.”

Chronicling Capitol corruption in new book

Tennessee has seen its share of political corruption over the years among both Republicans and Democrats. Two veteran journalists chronicle some of the most high-profile and intriguing cases over the past half century in the new book, "Welcome to Capitol Hill: 50 years of Scandal in Tennessee Politics."

Joel Ebert, a former colleague of ours at The Tennessean and now with the Institute of Politics at the University of Chicago, and Erik Schelzig, a former Associated Press reporter and now editor of the Tennessee Journal, co-authored the book, published by Vanderbilt University Press.

The two were kind enough to answer a few questions for about Tennessee politics and the new book.

Joel and Erik, congratulations on the book “Welcome to Capitol Hill” and for taking some time to answer a few questions. To start, tell me more about why you decided to chronicle some of Tennessee’s most high-profile public corruption cases?

Joel: The initial idea for putting all of these stories in one place came after I did retrospective stories and podcasts for The Tennessean on the 40th anniversary of the early swearing-in of then Gov. Lamar Alexander and the federal investigation known as Operation Rocky Top. We thought it was important to continue to revisit the older political scandals as peoples’ memories start to fade. We also thought it would be a handy resource for Tennesseans, new and old, to learn about the history of state politics in a different way.

Erik: When I arrived at the General Assembly nearly 18 years ago, I had the immense pleasure of working alongside longtime statehouse reporters who gave me a crash course on the ins and outs of the Tennessee Statehouse. They included Larry Daughtrey of The Tennessean, Rick Locker of Memphis Commercial Appeal, Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel, Andy Sher of the Chattanooga Times Free Press, and Ed Cromer of the Tennessee Journal. Given that most people don’t have the luxury of carrying on yearslong conversations over cubicle walls with journalists who covered some of the state’s most momentous events, the next best thing was to write down as much of it as we could for a wider audience to enjoy.

You had former Gov. Bill Haslam write the forward to the book. Why approach a former elected official and what insight does he bring to the table for readers?

Joel: During his time in office, Gov. Haslam always seemed to have an interest in history and journalism. When I covered him, he once asked me where I got my news. He also turned the tables once and hosted an episode of the podcast I helped start and asked Natalie Allison and I questions. We figured with the governor’s appreciation of journalism, history and politics, he would be amenable to writing the foreword.

Erik: We especially liked Haslam’s comments that while he didn’t always like what me and Joel wrote about him when he was governor, he always knew it was important to have journalists vigorously covering state and local government. Not all public officials are so appreciative of the important role reporters play in holding public officials accountable.

You started the book in the administration of former Democratic Gov. Ray Blanton. Why start there and what struck you the most about the pardon scandal?

Joel: The main question for us was where to begin. We knew if we went too far back in time, the book could become a bit unwieldy. We ultimately decided to begin with Gov. Blanton because we thought we could tell a little bit more about his political history before his scandals piled up and because we obtained files from the Department of Justice in response to a Freedom of Information Act request. The documents from the FOIA ended up revealing that he, at one point, had a friendly relationship with the FBI - which was surprising given his later claims to be a constant target by the feds. One of the most surprising developments of the pardon scandal actually came when we were writing the book and a Hamilton County cold case unit linked Blanton to the murder of Sam Pettyjohn.

Erik: No book on Tennessee political scandals would be complete without Blanton, who seemed incapable of recognizing ethical boundaries and reveled in a confrontational approach toward the press.

Both of you personally covered some of these scandals as reporters, for The Tennessean, the Associated Press and the Tennessee Journal. And some of them remain ongoing. We don’t yet know the ultimate fate of former House Speaker Glen Casada, for example. But in researching this book, tell me something surprising about a Tennessee corruption scandal that you learned for the first time or didn’t fully appreciate before writing the book?

Erik: The first scandal we touch upon in the book involves a former state senator, Ed Gillock, who got indicted on bribery and racketeering charges in the 1970s. Gillock’s lawyer Jim Neal got a federal judge to agree that state lawmakers should have the same protections as members of Congress in being shielded from prosecution for anything they say in the course of their official activities. The case went all the way to the Supreme Court, which in a 7-2 decision in 1980 found state lawmakers had no such immunity. Without that ruling, several subsequent corruption cases – both inside and outside of Tennessee – might not have seen the light of day.

Joel: One of the more surprising discoveries when we were writing the book was actually the origin of the Tennessee Waltz scandal. A Freedom of Information Act return from the FBI on the investigation actually ended up showing that agents were initially interested in Democratic Rep. Lois DeBerry of Memphis. By the end of the multi-year investigation, DeBerry wasn’t charged (even though undercover agents took her and another lawmaker to a casino and gave her $200 to gamble with). The sting led to the convictions of former Democratic Sens. John Ford, Roscoe Dixon, Kathryn Bowers and Ward Crutchfield, along with Republican Rep. Chris Newton.

You have both said that one of the reasons you wrote the book was to put some of this history in one place, in the hopes that it can be a resource to others. Erik, you tapped into that this week during the debate of the House’s sign rules, pointing to the presence of hand-held signs in the gallery under multiple former speakers. Why is this important for Tennesseans to remember and learn from these past scandals?

Erik: It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when I went from being the fresh-faced new kid to a grizzled old-timer, but at some point it just happened. The good part of that process is the amount of institutional memory I’ve acquired along the way, which feels like it's becoming ever more of a fleeting commodity. In writing this book, we noticed a trend of increased dedication to ethical behavior in the immediate aftermath of a big scandal, only to see standards relax as the events become more distant memories. And then the next shockwave hits the Statehouse. If anything, our book should serve as a warning against getting complacent and a reminder that the next scandal is always around the corner.

Joel: The old adage of those who forget history being bound to repeat it is often true. This book is a reminder that the current political scandals in Tennessee are not without precedent. In today’s political world it can often feel as if we are living in scandalous and divisive times that are unlike any other period before. In each chapter of the book, it seems as if the characters we’ve written about -- whether 50 years ago or 15 -- are using the same tactics that many in elected office use today: blame your enemies and rally your base.

The scandals you write about involved both Republicans and Democrats. But one of the themes that struck me was how they often involved the party in power at the time. What do you think this says about the supermajorities – of either party – and the politics of Tennessee?

Joel: Unfortunately supermajorities can often feel as if they can do no wrong. The problem with that is they can be too headstrong to realize when they mess up or their members are doing something that runs afoul of laws or norms. Rather than dealing with the root of the problem, the party in power often doubles down and defends their action rather than trying to tackle the issue at hand. And that can lead to even more trouble. The recent developments at the Statehouse - whether the yearslong defense of former Rep. David Byrd, the bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest or the expulsion of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson earlier this year - are emblematic of this.

Erik: The first impulse for the party in power is to try to circle the wagons and try to kill the messenger, whether it’s the media, political opponents, or law enforcement. One of the interesting things we found in the book was how long some people were able to hold despite mounting evidence of malfeasance when others were drummed out quite quickly despite all protestations. The latter category includes former House Speaker Glen Casada, who had been so heavy handed in his short time in the chamber’s top leadership post that he was soundly defeated in a no-confidence vote when a racists and sexist text messaging scandal came to light.

Finally, Tennesseans would not know about many of these issues had reporters not uncovered them. What does this say about the power of journalism?

Erik: It’s no secret that the Tennessee Capitol Hill Press Corps is a shadow of what it was when many cities had two newspapers and sent multiple reporters to cover the Statehouse along with several full-time TV, radio, and wire service journalists. That’s hardly a new development, and yet reporters – including my co-author – have played key roles in uncovering serious wrongdoing among lawmakers. Our hope is that journalists still manage to find the time to peel off the news of the day to dig into any shady dealings they might have heard about. Where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.

Joel: Last week when I came back to Tennessee for a few days to promote the book, I spent several days in the press room in Cordell Hull. With the special session in full swing, it was amazing to see so many journalists occupy the room, which was so packed you had to walk over folks sitting on the floor. Local and national media outlets were giving the legislature and the state the attention it deserves. The benefit of having more eyes on the state is that there will inevitably be more people keeping an eye on something that might otherwise go unnoticed. With so many additional reporters – and cameras – present, it gave the wider public the opportunity to make up their minds about what happened on the final day of the special session between House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Rep. Justin Pearson rather than just taking their word (or spin) for it.

Erik: Joel and I were happy to supply pizzas to the press room denizens on one busy night last week. This wasn’t in the book but remains important advice for fans of the Statehouse beat: Always send reporters pizza.

Thank you both again for your time and answering these questions. You can catch Joel and Erik talking about their book at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, which runs Oct. 21-22.

Skrmetti slams SHEIN using Uyghur forced labor ahead of IPO

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti joined 15 other attorneys general on Wednesday calling for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to independently verify that Chinese-owned fast-fashion retailer SHEIN complies with a federal law prohibiting imports of products made with forced labor.

In a letter to SEC Chair Gary Gensler, the group argued that SHEIN – which is set for an initial public offering launch later this year – has been credibly accused of exploiting forced labor and violating the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act. They cited testing by Bloomberg News that found evidence that cotton produced in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region was present in clothing products the company sold.

“American exchanges should have a zero-tolerance policy for foreign companies that seek access to our markets but refuse to follow our laws, especially when the implicated laws are meant to prevent serious human rights abuses,” the attorneys general wrote.

Skrmetti and others asked the SEC to require foreign-owned companies to undergo an independent analysis of their compliance with federal laws that prohibit import of products made using forced labor – before being listed on the U.S. securities exchange.

State Democratic Party honors ‘Tennessee Three’ at fundraiser

Leadership of the Tennessee Democratic Party honored Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville – who have become known as the "Tennessee Three” – during the party’s annual fundraiser, The Tri Star Dinner.

“Because of you, the nation and the world know that democrats in the South are not going to stop fighting. Because of you, our party has an energy like never before,” Tennessee Democratic Party chair Hendrell Remus said at the event. “Because of you, the nation knows that Tennessee is still in the fight.”

U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Georgia, was keynote speaker at the event. California Gov. Gavin Newsom had previously been scheduled to speak.

Catch up on the week

How bill to improve Tennessee's gun background checks could resurface

Tennessee lawmakers passed three bills in the special session. Here's a closer look at the impact

Former TN state Sen. Brian Kelsey now claims the feds breached his plea deal. Here's why.

Memorial services announced for former Tennessee Gov. Don Sundquist

With tempers mounting, Tennessee's special session ends with little action on guns

'We will be back': Covenant families disappointed in special session, vow to press ahead

Free speech or orderly business: House sign rules remain blocked, judge rules

Got a question for us?

Got a question about state politics you would like us to tackle? Let us know. Email us at statehouse@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Were the seeds for gun reform planted in Tennessee? | The week in politics