As this conversation has progressed on social media, some individuals have chosen to focus on my comments regarding Ms. Patray, which, incidentally, was not the primary focus of the message at all. But I understand it. It is in the interest of the leadership establishment to try to sway the public by moving the conversation along in a different direction from its original intent.
So, they’ve now chosen to spotlight Ms. Patray and her efforts with a warning to “Be wary of anyone who criticizes her.” Despite the fact that Ms. Patray is certainly not infallible and capable of making mistakes, this is NOT about Bobbie Patray! This IS about a group of men currently holding the reins of the General Assembly who chose to use their positions of power to minimize and blackball one of the most conservative state representatives in Tennessee’s legislature.
Cameron Sexton, William Lamberth, Jeremy Faison, and a few other figures would love for you to take your eyes off of the fact that they will do everything within their power to minimize the impact of constitutionally conservative groups like Tennessee Stands, the Tennessee Firearms Association, and others around the state who are willing to take on the current corruption of our General Assembly in hopes that we can secure new leadership that will work on behalf of the grassroots conservatives in this state. But they have a problem. We aren’t going anywhere.
If you follow Tennessee Stands, then you know that I don’t pull any punches. I’ll tell you the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. I’ll call it like I see it, and when legislators choose to stand on the side of the People, we will support their efforts vigorously.
I am not going to make any apologies for hurting anyone’s feelings. But I will make a call for all of us to do the right thing even when it’s hard…because it matters.
In closing, a message to those of you who find yourself honored with the role of being elected to represent the interests of Tennesseans from all around this great state. You have a role to play in all of this. Stop playing the games. Last year, it was Todd Warner. This year, it was Jody Barrett. Next year, it could be you. It astounds me that this seems to be lost on a majority of the members of the General Assembly.
At the end of the day, you have been coached and led to believe that leadership holds the reins. But the truth is, you do. You are members of the General Assembly elected by your districts and wield a constitutional authority. At any time, a simple majority changes the leadership structure entirely. There is not one voter that I’ve ever met who enjoys seeing political games being played with their liberty. So, when prevailing circumstances demand a change, you have a duty to act.
Some of you need to stop leaving your faith checked at the threshold when entering the grounds of the Capitol. The demands of biblical leadership and accountability are not meant to cease in the landscape of politics. In fact, they should be put on display for all to see. There is no one else to blame for the failures of leadership other than those who have the power to change it and refuse to do so.
I was going to leave well enough alone. Except it seems, they can’t.
I made a post on social media on May 28th, along with video commentary on the particulars surrounding the passage of HB 322, an anti-human smuggling bill working to curb illegal immigration in our state. This is a great bill. We asked you to support this bill, and Tennesseans sent 7,184 emails to the General Assembly in support through our website at tennesseestands.org.
The bill was brought about through the work of Bobbie Patray and TN Eagle Forum. Ms. Patray has been an incredible force for conservative values in the General Assembly for over 30 years as a lobbyist with Eagle Forum. That is indisputable, and she deserves that credit for her work. We don’t agree on everything, like term limits, for example. But where we do agree (on almost everything else), Tennessee Stands has and will always be supportive.
My commentary on the bill’s passage was not about the bill – and not even really focused that much on Ms. Patray – as much as it was about the corruption of leadership in the General Assembly. Much of what happens during a legislative session has less to do with policy and more to do with the positioning and posturing of men working to conserve their own power and punishing those who might get in the way, most of that led by their own junior high bully with more insecurity than a possum in a room full of rocking chairs, Speaker Cameron Sexton.
HB 322 was signed by Governor Bill Lee and was celebrated by Ms. Patray as she thanked Rep. Chris Todd and Sen. Brent Taylor for carrying the bill. That is good and proper, and those men deserve credit. But what was missed by everyone, and intentionally so, is any mention whatsoever of Representative Jody Barrett who initially sponsored the bill for Ms. Patray, had the bill drafted by the legal team, and even recruited Sen. Taylor to run the bill in the Senate. So, what happened to Rep. Barrett in this process, you might ask?
The simple answer is that Rep. Barrett was blackballed by leadership for several reasons, some say, but most notably for publicly opposing the Governor’s school voucher bill due to the concerns that many conservatives across the state had about the bill. Not to mention that he represents 70,000 Tennesseans in Dickson, Hickman, and Lewis counties, the great majority of whom were opposed to this legislation. Rep. Barrett was rightly representing the people of his district. And because of that opposition, under the direction of the leadership Gestapo in the General Assembly, they needed to take Rep. Barrett “to the woodshed” and teach him a lesson. As such, committee chairmen began approaching him, letting him know that none of his bills were going to make it through committee. The members had received their instructions.
HB 322 was not the only bill in the crosshairs. HB 324, restricting the Governor’s authority in an emergency, was handed over to Rep. Rusty Grills. And subsequently, it passed. As well as HB 571, protecting girls in academic settings, which was handed over to Rep. Gino Bulso, also passed. All of these bills were originally filed by Rep. Jody Barrett but were doomed for failure unless he found other bill sponsors to carry them through to the floor.
None of this is a secret to anyone in the halls of the General Assembly, much less Ms. Bobbie Patray, who has spent over 30 years observing these kinds of shenanigans. Ms. Patray could have chosen a different path. She could have fought against the corruption. She could have stood her ground and continued to support the sponsorship of the bill with Rep. Barrett. She could have let her followers at Eagle Forum know the politics that were happening behind the scenes. And at the very least, she could have publicly thanked Rep. Barrett for his work on this bill. Unfortunately, she chose to do none of those things and instead played by the rules of the game set forth by the Speaker. And here we are.
As this conversation has progressed on social media, some individuals have chosen to focus on my comments regarding Ms. Patray, which, incidentally, was not the primary focus of the message at all. But I understand it. It is in the interest of the leadership establishment to try to sway the public by moving the conversation along in a different direction from its original intent.
So, they’ve now chosen to spotlight Ms. Patray and her efforts with a warning to “Be wary of anyone who criticizes her.” Despite the fact that Ms. Patray is certainly not infallible and capable of making mistakes, this is NOT about Bobbie Patray! This IS about a group of men currently holding the reins of the General Assembly who chose to use their positions of power to minimize and blackball one of the most conservative state representatives in Tennessee’s legislature.
Cameron Sexton, William Lamberth, Jeremy Faison, and a few other figures would love for you to take your eyes off of the fact that they will do everything within their power to minimize the impact of constitutionally conservative groups like Tennessee Stands, the Tennessee Firearms Association, and others around the state who are willing to take on the current corruption of our General Assembly in hopes that we can secure new leadership that will work on behalf of the grassroots conservatives in this state. But they have a problem. We aren’t going anywhere.
If you follow Tennessee Stands, then you know that I don’t pull any punches. I’ll tell you the truth even when it’s uncomfortable. I’ll call it like I see it, and when legislators choose to stand on the side of the People, we will support their efforts vigorously.
I am not going to make any apologies for hurting anyone’s feelings. But I will make a call for all of us to do the right thing even when it’s hard…because it matters.
In closing, a message to those of you who find yourself honored with the role of being elected to represent the interests of Tennesseans from all around this great state. You have a role to play in all of this. Stop playing the games. Last year, it was Todd Warner. This year, it was Jody Barrett. Next year, it could be you. It astounds me that this seems to be lost on a majority of the members of the General Assembly.
At the end of the day, you have been coached and led to believe that leadership holds the reins. But the truth is, you do. You are members of the General Assembly elected by your districts and wield a constitutional authority. At any time, a simple majority changes the leadership structure entirely. There is not one voter that I’ve ever met who enjoys seeing political games being played with their liberty. So, when prevailing circumstances demand a change, you have a duty to act.
Some of you need to stop leaving your faith checked at the threshold when entering the grounds of the Capitol. The demands of biblical leadership and accountability are not meant to cease in the landscape of politics. In fact, they should be put on display for all to see. There is no one else to blame for the failures of leadership other than those who have the power to change it and refuse to do so.
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Gary Humble
Gary Humble