PrintMontana Legislature learns the lesson from Tennessee and bans disruptive insurrectionist solon from the chamber, but does not expel him
Republicans are working their way through the New Rules Democrats proclaimed on January 6, 2021. From now on, any disruption of a legislative process is a grave crime, meriting the use of the word “insurrection” to describe the intent of the demonstrator(s). It is a learning process.
Tennessee Republicans reacted to the disruption of their legislature by expelling three members who took over the podium and disrupted proceedings. But this doesn’t really work very well, since their constituencies have already shown they will return to the chamber, with local boards sending them back. It is wrong to deprive the people of a legislative district of representation, and the people have every right to choose their representatives, through a vote or through the actions of their local representatives until the next election.
Legislators in Helena, Montana got the message from Nashville loud and clear in dealing with a disruption of their own, as Arjun Singh of the Daily Caller News Foundation reports:
The Montana House of Representatives voted by a two-thirds majority Wednesday to suspend a transgender lawmaker who previously accused colleagues of “torture” for attempting to ban gender-affirming care in the state.
Democratic State Rep. Zooey Zephyr of the 100th District, who is transgender, was suspended from the chamber on Wednesday, with 68 voting in favor and 32 voting against. Zephyr will not be able to enter the chamber or speak on the floor for the remainder of the current session, which ends in May, instead only being able to vote on bills remotely.
Zephyr attracted staunch criticism from colleagues for his opposition to Senate Bill 0099 or the “Youth Health Protection Act,” which would ban all transgender medical procedures in the state for minors and was passed by the legislature on April 21. Zephyr told Republican members in support of the bill that they would have “blood on their hands” if they voted to pass it and compared its provision to “torture,” refusing to apologize after being reprimanded.
For his refusal, Zephyr was denied recognition by the Speaker to make remarks on the bill during a general debate. Protesters in opposition to the bill later stormed the galleries of the house, shouting “Let her speak!” in relation to Zephyr, leading to several being arrested, with Zephyr releasing a statement in support of the protesters.
Zephyr was, then, informed that a disciplinary vote regarding his conduct would be held on Wednesday under Article V (10) of the Montana Constitution, which empowers the house to punish its members with a two-thirds majority vote. The notice issued to Zephyr, which he posted on Twitter, cited his alleged violation of the “collective rights, safety, dignity, integrity [and] decorum of the House of Representatives.”
The suspension is the highest penalty the House may issue short of expulsion, which also requires a two-thirds vote. Zephyr remains a member of the House, serving the first year of a two-year term.
Zephyr is still allowed to perform his duties, but he lacks the ability to further disrupt proceedings, and thereby get face time on the telecast of legislative business. That may be worse than expulsion from his perspective, and offers no opportunities for pushback the way that expulsion does.
Drew Belsky raises a good longer-term point:
I wonder what happens when leftists start expelling Republican lawmakers en masse for any old thing. I'm honestly surprised they weren't the ones to pioneer this tactic.
The same ability of local constituents to resend the same representatives will exist for outright expulsions, but if there is misbehavior leading to suspension from the legislative chamber, then the GOP solons will labor on.
My hope is that behavior on the floors of the legislative chambers will improve, so as to offer no excuse for the sort of sanctions we’ve just seen. After all, these are the New Rules and Republicans generally believe in following the rules.
Photo credit: YouTube screengrab
