Back on this Sunday morning,
talking about the four constitutional
amendments that are proposed on the ballot.
You'll see them when you vote
in October and early voting or
in November on the eighth John,
one of those amendments has to deal with
who can hold office in the legislature.
That's right. Some people may not be aware,
but currently and and for quite a while,
people, men and women of the cloth
have been prohibited essentially
from holding public office.
That's kind of ridiculous because
it's been happening anyway. But.
It is now officially going to be taken
out of the Constitution if it passes.
If it passes.
So, representative Mackenzie,
let's return to our discussion.
Amendments 2-3 and four.
You don't like amendment one,
do you? Like 2-3 and four?
I do. I do. I I think 2 does add to
the Constitution but but but what
it does it creates a structure and
and a mechanism for if a governor
becomes incapacitated what the state
should do you know and it's not just
death I mean it could be you know he
could maybe fall into a coma have an
extended surge he or she can have
an extended surgery so it just sets
those things into motion three is
is it's it's a shame that it hadn't
happened before now the word slavery.
Has no place in the Constitution.
It never did kind of like amendment one.
We shouldn't be adding things in
the Constitution that that, that,
that that may make sense 100 years or
300 years ago but makes no sense today.
And then four, as you said,
it's been ruled unconstitutional.
There's several men and women of
the cloth that have served in the
legislature that that serve now.
So it's it's just really a cleanup.
Like the bottom line is let's keep
the Constitution and the Constitution
of the state of Tennessee.
Well, sound document, a concise document,
and not adding all these extras.
Susan, give us some perspective on just
how often we see proposals like this.
As Senator Massey articulated in
representing McKinsey backed up,
this is something that takes a lot to get.
It has to go through several layers in
order to even get in front of voters.
How often do we see something
like this in Tennessee?
Well, it's very rare. Obviously.
I I can't remember the last time I know
there seems like there was one. The 70s
what about the abortion
issue? Previously, about 20 years ago.
Yeah, 2014. Not even that long.
With that one. But I what I was gonna
say is people need to understand,
we mentioned it in the first block,
but last election for governor in 2018
there was a little over 2,000,000 votes
total for for Billy and his opponent.
So in order for that let's assume
there's 2,000,000 this time these
amendments in order to pass have to get a
million and one votes in order to pass.
Now y'all that's difficult because
as you well know people tend.
They they don't understand them.
They're usually wordy and they're hard
to understand on the ballot and they
generally will vote no or they just skip
them if they don't understand them.
So I want everybody to understand that's
listening. These are really important.
Pay attention.
I would like you to vote yes on all four,
but it's important that you vote on them.
Don't skip them.
John N, You were mentioning
2014 some perspective.
Yeah. So that was a huge one
and especially right now.
Today, as we look back,
that was an enormous vote.
What happened then it was to essentially
throw out the constitutional right
and the Tennessee Constitution
to access to an abortion.
And we didn't really see it then,
but we can see today that was
the start of a series of steps
that has led to Tennessee just
to have its now prevailing law,
the so-called trigger law,
which is now in place.
Representative McKenzie,
to Susan's point, anything you'd
leave the voters who are watching now.
Who want to know more about
what they're going to vote for?
I would just encourage them to to
reach out and do the research and
I'll I'll go I'll go back on on one
it it again do the research and if
you don't I'll be different from from
Susan if you don't understand that
don't vote for him I would rather
people not vote for things that they
don't fully understand they just
leave that blank especially on one it
because it's important in terms of
of of of of the trickle down effect
and and and and what it has on on the
rest of the state of Tennessee so.
Well I I do agree with with with her
math but yeah you know on these vote
yes on on 2/3 and four no on one.
Representing McKenzie we always
appreciate having you on the broadcast.
Thank you for the time this morning
Don and Susan thank you for spending
your Sunday with us and as always we
appreciate our viewers if you missed
an inside Tennessee lots of candidates
coming on because early voting starts
in the middle of this month and
then Election Day is November 8th.
So to all of you have a great
rest of your weekend.
Thank you for watching and
always check the inside.
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