Dem
51
GOP
49
In theory, legislatures write laws. And sometimes they debate those laws. And sometimes that debate gets heated. There are rules for what someone can, and cannot say, and if those rules are breached, then there are (largely administrative) consequences. It's not too easy to say something on the floor of a legislative chamber that is bad enough to justify expulsion. In fact, it's all but impossible. Until now, that is.
At this point, anyone who reads this site is familiar with what happened in Tennessee. Democratic members were largely denied the right of the floor; either not being given the time to which they were entitled, or having their microphones cut off on those occasions when they were allowed to speak. So, three Democrats brought their own microphone, in the form of a megaphone. This was deemed "disruptive" by the Republican majority, and two of three (who, in a staggering coincidence, were both Black) were expelled before being immediately reappointed to their seats.
It would seem that Montana Republicans read about the shenanigans in Tennessee and decided that it sounded swell to them. The Montana House is one of the (many) Republican-controlled chambers that is currently considering anti-trans legislation, specifically a bill that would prohibit gender-affirming treatment for minors. As it turns out, the Montana House has a trans member, namely state Rep. Zooey Zephyr (D). She feels pretty strongly about the bill, and when she said her piece on the floor of the House, she warned that members who voted in favor of the measure would have "blood on [your] hands."
Most legislatures have rules about what is, and what is not, acceptable rhetoric for floor speeches. In the U.S. House, a member can say general things like this, but cannot attack individual members. We assume that the Montana House's rules are pretty much the same, though we can't find a copy online.
Whatever the rules of the Montana House might say, the Republican members have decided that Zephyr's remarks were entirely unacceptable. They said she would not be allowed to speak again until she delivered an apology. We can promise you with 100% certainty that there is no "compulsory apology" provision in the rules of the Montana House. Zephyr declined to apologize, and so today there will be a closed-door session at which the expulsion of Zephyr will be discussed and voted upon.
Sometime today, the result will be known. But given that the protests outside the state House building have been by Zephyr supporters, the closed-door element suggests that she's going to get the boot. All of this is frighteningly undemocratic, of course. For some reason, these allegedly freedom-loving Republican legislatures don't seem to care. (Z)