Thread: The Madison County Commission tabled a resolution that disapproved of Gov. Bill Lee's

The Madison County Commission tabled a resolution that disapproved of Gov. Bill Lee's decision to continue refugee resettlement in Tennessee.


January 21, 2020

Adam Friedman







Protestors outside the Commission meeting opposing the proposed resolution against allowance of refugees into Tennessee/Madison County.BRANDON SHIELDS / THE JACKSON SUN



The Madison County Commission tabled a resolution that disapproved of Gov. Bill Lee's decision to continue refugee resettlement in Tennessee.


Commissioner Jay Bush (R-9) recommended that the commission table the resolution after a federal court struck down President Donald Trump's executive order that allowed states to opt-in or out of the refugee resettlement program in the first place.

"With there being so much up in the air about the executive order and its legal status, I didn't feel like it was something that was necessary for Madison County to weigh into," Bush said.

Even with Lee's action, Madison County was unlikely to receive any resettled refugees because the county is more than 50 miles from the nearest resettlement group in Memphis.


"Madison County isn't really in danger of anyone being resettled here," Bush said.

The county commission's legislative resolution committee took up the resolution following the governor's decision in December. Tennessee joins only a handful of Republican-led states to opt-in to the program.

Following Gov. Lee's announcement Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, came out against Lee's decision citing a lawsuit that Tennessee has participated in, in which they argue that the refugee resettlement program infringes on state's rights.



Jay Bush looks over the agenda during a county commission meeting at West TN AgResearch Center in Jackson, Tenn., on Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2019.
HENRY TAYLOR/THE JACKSON SUN

Nobody recommends the resolution in support in President Trump


On Jan. 6, the county commission's legislative resolution committee voted 3-3 on a resolution that would show the county's support for President Trump.

The failed committee vote meant the only way the commission could vote on it was if a commissioner brought it up from the floor.


Madison County Commission Chairman Gary Deaton (R-4) said he'd try to get it brought up from the floor without a recommendation. Deaton himself couldn't bring it up because of the commission's rules that prevent the chairman of it from introducing anything from the floor.

Nothing other commissioners stepped up to introduce the resolution.

Are both resolutions done?



Gary Deaton listens to another commissioner at a Madison County Commission meeting Jan. 22, 2019.
HENRY TAYLOR/THE JACKSON SUN

Both resolutions failed to pass the county for this month, but they could come up again in either a committee meeting or from the floor by any county commissioner.

Since the commission tabled the refugee resettlement resolution it would only take a majority vote from the county commission to bring up the resolution again.

The Trump resolution would require the commission to suspend the rules in order to vote on it, which means it would need a two-thirds majority to come up again.


Reach Adam Friedman by email at afriedman@jacksonsun.com, by phone at 731-431-8517 or follow him on Twitter @friedmanadam5.

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