Doctors speak out on rules process used to remove citizens with paper signs
A group of Tennessee physicians affiliated with the health policy advocacy group Protect My Care is expressing outrage after the Tennessee House of Representatives adopted rules for a special legislative session that restrict access to committee rooms and the House gallery and ban even small, paper signs from legislative hearings.
Earlier in the week, the group presented a petition to lawmakers calling for a number of gun safety measures, including universal background checks for gun sales and red flag laws.
Dr. Katrina Green, an emergency department physician from Nashville, said of the rules:
“During the session, the Tennessee House of Representatives approved rules meant to silence our voices. They want to rule over, not represent us. The same extreme politicians who took away our freedom to decide what happens to our bodies, are acting now to take away our freedom to be safe in our communities, schools and public spaces, while listening to special interest groups over the voices of their constituents, who overwhelmingly support reasonable gun safety measures."
Dr. Howard Rosenblum echoed Green's sentiments, saying:
“Tennesseans value our freedoms - our freedom to elect leaders who respect our will, protect our interests and govern in our name. But, what we saw Tuesday night was a display of tactics meant to silence the voices of the people. In a democracy, it is imperative that our elected leaders hear from ALL constituents, not just the ones who agree with them. Poll after poll shows overwhelming bipartisan support across Tennessee for gun safety measures, including background checks and extreme risk protection orders. I implore our legislators to listen to their constituents.”
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