1. Lookup phone numbers for your elected officials.
2. Call their office and share your message.
3. Introduce yourself and let them know you're a Tennessee voter.
4. Share why it is important to you.
5. Ask for a commitment and a response.
6. Share the results and what you hear!

My name is [FIRST AND LAST NAME], and I'm a constituent from [CITY]. I want [NAME OF LAWMAKER] to hear from me that [YOUR MESSAGE].

[NAME OF LAWMAKER] should [YOUR MESSAGE].

[SHARE A STORY OR EXAMPLE OF WHY THIS MATTERS TO YOU]

My name is [FIRST AND LAST NAME]. I would like to receive a response back, and I can be reached at [PHONE NUMBER AND/OR EMAIL]. 

Thank you

SAMPLE MESSAGE FRAME (OVERALL)

Tennessee children and families are worthy of leaders who will keep our children safe.

Ousting lawmakers for representing the voters who elected them at a rally for gun safety is un-American, anti-democratic, and doesn't make our children safer in schools.

The basis of American democracy is that we pick our leaders – our leaders do not rip away from voters their freedom to elect leaders who represent their voice and values.

Thousands of parents, children, and community members have rallied for common sense safety gun reforms supported by law enforcement. Instead, power-hungry politicians are attempting to silence us based on what we believe, what we look like, or where we live to distract from their failures to make Tennessee safer for all our children.

This represents the latest effort by power-hungry, unaccountable politicians to take away our freedoms and block everything that our families need: our freedoms for safe schools, free speech, freedom to be ourselves, and freedom to pick our leaders.

We deserve leaders who deliver for our families and protect our freedoms.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION 

Expelling duly elected members of the Tennessee General Assembly is an extraordinarily rare procedural move that has been exercised only nine times in the 227 year history of Tennessee. 

• Six times to remove members that refused to ratify the 14th amendment, thereby withholding citizenship from formerly enslaved persons and preventing Tennessee from rejoining the Union. 
• Once to remove a member for taking a $1,000 bribe to kill a bill. 
• One to remove a member who engaged in gross sexual misconduct. 
• One to remove a member who allegedly misappropriated federal funds. 

The actions of Representatives Johnson, Jones, & Pearson come nowhere near the historically high bar set for expulsion of duly elected representatives. 

These expulsion resolutions set a dangerous precedent.

If passed, these resolutions will singal to other lawmakers – Republican & Democrat – that they can speak on behalf of their constituents only if what they have to say is palatable to the Speaker of the House. 

If passed, these resolutions will signal to Tennesseans that their voices only matter when Speaker Sexton agrees. 

Expelling duly elected members of the Tennessee General Assembly is inherently anti-democratic. 

• Doing so will leave 200,000 Tennesseans without a state representative. 
• This means 200,000 Tennesseans will have no voice on public policy and no intermediary for vital state services like medicaid & unemployment. 

Representatives Johnson, Jones, & Pearson will be fine whatever the outcome. The expulsion resolution is more injurious to their constituents than it is to the members individually. 

Expelling duly elected members of the Tennessee General Assembly for engaging in protest is unconstitutional. 

Section 27 of the Tennessee Constitution specifically extends to members of the General Assembly the “right to dissent from and protest against, any act or resolve which [they] may think injurious to the public.” 

It is vital that members of the General Assembly be able to zealously represent their constituents’ views. This is true for Republicans & Democrats. 

Representatives Johnson, Jones, & Pearson’s actions were inherently democratic and specifically protected by the state constitution. 

 

MESSAGE GUIDANCE

Lead with shared values: No matter our political party, our color, or where we live, in Tennessee, we value our freedoms. The freedom to go to school and be in our home safely, the freedom to be ourselves, and the freedom to pick our leaders in free and fair elections.

Name the real villain (it isn’t kids rallying for gun safety or these democratic lawmakers who stood with them!): But right now, instead of listening to thousands of parents, children, and community members who came together for common sense safety gun reform last Thursday at the state capitol,  Speaker Cameron Sexton and unaccountable politicians are expelling lawmakers for standing with us and governing in our interests. We see through their lies, refusal to govern in our interests, and attempts to make laws that sabotage our representation.

Collective Action: We deserve leaders who deliver for our families and protect our freedoms. The freedom to choose our leaders, the freedom to be safe, and the freedom to be ourselves in Tennessee. Together, we can demand our elected officials take real action to make our state a place where we all have the freedom to thrive, no exceptions.

Call to Action: [INSERT SPECIFIC CTA]

For petition: Stand with us: Condemn the actions of TN House Republicans and demand leaders to defend our freedom to be safe from gun violence in Tennessee. Sign our petition now.