Actions and behaviors can have consequences — sometimes dramatically so.
Just ask the Democratic caucus members in Tennessee.
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton dropped a bombshell on them Tuesday, announcing that the Democrats faced imminent expulsion from all committees and subcommittees.
Sean Davis, CEO of The Federalist, shared a copy of the letter online:
BREAKING: Notice has just been given to Democrats in the Tennessee House that all members of the Democrat Caucus are being removed from all standing committees and subcommittees as a result of their behavior in the statehouse during the redistricting debates last week, which… pic.twitter.com/ZhJpMiO7RQ
— Sean Davis (@seanmdav) May 12, 2026
In a letter to House Democratic Leader Karen Camper, Sexton didn’t mince words about the Democrats’ behavior during last week’s contentious redistricting talks.
“Due to actions taken by members of the Democratic Caucus during the Second Extraordinary Session of the 114th General Assembly aimed at disrupting the democratic and legislative process and creating disorder on the House Floor … Members of the Democratic Caucus will receive individual level letters removing them from all standing committees and subcommittees of the House, except where membership is required pursuant to Rule 65 of the House Rules.”
Sexton listed off a number of behavioral issues with his Democratic counterparts.
“Interlocking arms in the well of the House,” “Blocking aisles on the House Floor,” and “Instigating and encouraging disruptions of the legislative process in coordination with paid protesters,” were all reasons given by Sexton for his drastic move.
Davis added his two cents on the matter: “In the state of Tennessee, political terrorism will not be tolerated.”
NEW: TN House Speaker Cameron Sexton removed Democratic lawmakers from House committees following disruptions during the special session on congressional redistricting.
Sexton cites blocking aisles, interlocking arms, noisemakers and protest disruptions.@FOXNashville pic.twitter.com/kjW30mnicu
— Madeleine Nolan (@MaddieNolanTV) May 12, 2026
According to WTVC-TV, individual letters were, in fact, sent out to Democratic caucus members.
Camper, for instance, received her letter, notifying her that the only House committee she would be allowed to remain on is the Government Operations Committee, due to House bylaws.
Rep. Jason Powell, meanwhile, received a letter notifying him that he had been removed from all of his committee assignments — no special House rule exceptions.
WVLT-TV reports that Rep. Justin Jones took to Instagram to blast the move (Jones shared a picture of the letter he had received), while making it a racial grievance.
He wrote: “Just as my white Republican colleagues chose racial retaliation against Tennessee’s Black voters, the Speaker of the House is now choosing retaliation against a Black lawmaker for standing up against their Jim Crow racial gerrymander.”
Perhaps the most noteworthy part of this virtually unprecedented situation is that Sexton does indeed have the authority to do this and have it stick.
As WTVC noted, this decision “will stay in place until [Sexton] says otherwise.”
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