Jerry Sexton (politician)
Jerry Sexton (born March 9, 1957) is an American politician, currently serving as a Republican member of the Tennessee House of Representatives representing District 35, consisting of Grainger, Claiborne, and part of Union counties in the state of Tennessee since January 2015.[2] Sexton is also nationally known controversially for his fundamentally religious and socially conservative bills opposing LGBT rights,[3][4] the separation of church and state,[5] and abortion rights.[6][7]
Jerry Sexton | |
---|---|
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives from the 35th[1] district | |
Assumed office January 2015 | |
Preceded by | Dennis Roach |
Chair of the House Public Health Subcommittee | |
Assumed office January 2019 | |
Personal details | |
Born | Claiborne County, Tennessee | March 9, 1957
Nationality | American |
Political party | Republican |
Spouse(s) | Marsha Sexton |
Children | 2 |
Residence | Bean Station, Tennessee |
Alma mater | Walters State Community College |
Profession | Furniture manufacturing facility owner, former Baptist minister |
Website | http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/h35.html |
Legislative initiatives
On June 9, 2020, Sexton voted as a member of the House Naming, Designating, & Private Acts Committee against removal of a bust honoring Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol building.[8]
During the discussion of the bill regarding the removal of the bust, Sexton received heavy criticism from fellow state representatives and social media for a racist statement he had made[9][10], stating:
Maybe some of us will be slaves one of these days, laws change.
— Jerry Sexton
References
- State of Tennessee. "Representative Jerry Sexton". capitol.tn.gov. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- "Jerry Sexton". VoteSmart.org. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- Shelton, David (February 8, 2019). "Same-sex marriage rights attacked again in Tennessee". The Leaf Chronicle. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- Aviles, Gwen (February 12, 2019). "'Tennessee Natural Marriage Defense Act' seeks to strip gay marriage rights". NBC News. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- Ebert, Joel (February 5, 2020). "The Bible the official book of Tennessee? Four years after a failed effort, a Republican lawmaker tries again". The Tennessean. Retrieved May 23, 2020.
- "Tennessee House passes bill calling for monument for unborn children". CBS News. April 20, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2020.
- Allison, Natalie (May 27, 2020). "House committee approves abortion bill that Senate speaker does not intend to pass". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved May 29, 2020.
- 'HJR0686 by Staples',
- "Tennessee governor says 'something should be done' about Nathan Bedford Forrest bust". WMC Action News 5. June 10, 2020. Retrieved June 11, 2020.
- Palma, Sky (June 11, 2020). "'Everybody was just astonished': Tenn. Republican's comments on slavery leave his colleagues stunned". RawStory. Retrieved June 11, 2020.