Restricted bill sponsorships, guns allowed in hearing rooms among rules proposed for TN House

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - This week, the Tennessee legislative session began for 2025 and fierce debate is already underway.

As the session begins, a handful of proposed new rules for how the state House operates are at the center of one of those debates.

Democratic lawmakers are heavily pushing back against a proposed rule that would cut the number of bills each member can sponsor from 15 to 10. Republicans currently outnumber Democrats three to one in the House and lawmakers some Democrats believe this proposed rule is a move to silence their agenda.

“I’m in a super minority here which really is gonna cut our ability to one you know address the issues that we feel out pertinent for Tennessee while at the same time, the Republican supermajority and all their committee chairs will have additional bills as they do now we understand as well as you know the leader will have the entire governor’s agenda so they’ll have more opportunity to spread bills out of members than we would.”

A new recommendation to the rules is to allow firearms to be carried in House hearing rooms. Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) is pushing for that to be revoked. However, his motion failed along party lines.

A House committee is recommending the new rules that are set to be voted on by the House this week.