Rep Justin Jones, a Democrat in the Tennessee statehouse, has filed a federal lawsuit against his April removal from the chamber as well as the rules of the House limiting the floor comments legislators are able to make after the Republicans used them to silence him.
The filing in Nashville federal court and names GOP House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House administrative officials. It argues that Republicans have on several occasions prohibited Mr Jones from speaking during debates, violating his free speech rights according to both the federal and the state constitution.
