MEMPHIS, Tenn. — It has only been a day since Tennessee’s special session came to an end, but frustrations remain for how it left off.
“I need to be there with them to fight,” said MaMaDee Mourning, who already plans to head to Nashville and pressure lawmakers when the next session starts in January.
According to a Tennessee House spokesperson, out of more than 110 House Bills lawmakers filed, only 87 were discussed and 20 survived the house. After the Senate was through with them, only four made it to Governor Bill Lee’s desk.
Those bills cut down the time courts must notify the TBI after someone is convicted of a crime, require TBI to provide updated reports on human and child trafficking in the state and provide free gun locks, a measure co-sponsored by Memphis Republican Mark White.
“That’s one of the things we did get accomplished, and we may need to continue to build upon it,” said White.
However, the lawmaker said a big distraction this time around was the shouting and discourse coming from protestors and lawmakers.
“I’m disappointed," said White. "I have been there 14 years. Nothing has ever broken down to where we couldn’t have a civil discussion amongst each other."
An especially jarring incident took place between Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Democrats Justin Jones and Justin Pearson moments after the legislature adjourned, when they appeared to get into a physical altercation.
“Instead of listening to us and hearing what we were saying about how things worked, he instead shoved me pretty violently," said Pearson.
Pearson told ABC24 he is talking with his legal team about potentially filing assault charges against Sexton.
However, in the aftermath of the special session, both parties agree something needs to change.
“That’s not the way to operate. They’re taking a violent aggressive stance towards me. I need them to take a violent and aggressive stance towards ending gun violence in this state,” said Pearson.
White said everybody should have an equal voice on the House floor, "but when you have a lot of disruption of one viewpoint wanting to shout over the others, then things break down."
We reached out to Representative Sexton’s team for a comment, but we have not heard back.