Tennessee House legislation establishing residency requirements for federal candidates is scheduled for a floor vote on Monday.
The companion bill, SB2616, already passed the Tennessee Senate and is sitting on the House desk. The bills are currently markedly different in terms of the effective date, but that conflict is expected to change when HB2764 comes to the floor.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that the House bill sponsor, State Representative Dave Wright (R-Knoxville), has stated that he plans to make the bills match by motioning to substitute and conform the House version to the Senate version.
“All I’m trying to do is to get a bill to the floor in the House so I can motion to substitute and conform to the Senate version.” Wright said to The Star. Wright’s stated plan means the bills would then become identical and the House would vote on the measure.
If the proceeds occur as Rep. Wright has stated, HB2764 matching SB2616 would read:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 2, Chapter 13, Part 2, is amended by adding the following as a new section:
In order to qualify as a candidate in a primary election for United States senate or for member of the United States house of representatives, a person shall meet the residency requirements for state senators and representatives contained in the Tennessee constitution.
SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.
Candidates in U.S. House and U.S. Senate primaries would have to be Tennessee residents for three years in order to get on the ballot under this legislation.
If the House passes it, the next step would be for the speakers of both legislative bodies to affix their signatures to the legislation and then send it over to Governor Bill Lee’s office for his signature. Lee has not expressed a public opinion on the legislation.
If the expected final version of the legislation becomes law, it has been previously noted by The Star that it would have a major effect on the Tennessee 5th Congressional District Republican primary and possibly other primaries around the state.
In the TN-5 GOP primary, Tennessee newcomer and former State Department spokesman Morgan Ortagus, as well as New York transplant David Vitalli, would be off the ballot. California native Robby Starbuck would also likely be ineligible as well.
Ortagus previously told The Star that “I’ll leave state matters to the state legislature.” It is unknown whether Ortagus, Starbuck, or Vitalli would mount a legal challenge.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR.
Photo “Tennessee Senate Chamber” by Terrance CC BY-SA 3.0.
