County Executive David Morgan Column

November 8: One more election to go

2022 is a year of elections, and another one is upon us.

Tuesday, November 8 (or in early voting October 19 – November 3), Lawrence Countians face a ballot that includes subjects and candidates that concern all of us, and others that are based on where we live. 

If you live in the cities of St. Joseph, Ethridge, or Lawrenceburg, you’ll be voting for council members/commissioners to serve on those governing bodies. Voters in St. Joseph will also decide whether liquor can be sold and consumed on premises inside their city limits.

Redistricting based on the 2020 Census caused changes for many voters beginning with the August 4 election. Some parts of our county grew more than others, so our district lines shifted to make all 18 have approximately equal population numbers.

The same thing happened on a state-wide level. District lines changed for the Tennessee House and Senate and the U.S. House and Senate, moving Lawrence County (in whole or part) into different districts under different representation. You will see that change in the upcoming election.

Lawrence County remains split between Tennessee House Districts 70 and 71, but a larger area is now included in District 71. Most of northwest Lawrence County belongs in that district, along with all of Wayne, a portion of Hardin, and half of Maury Counties.

Tennessee House District 70 now includes the southern half of Lawrence County and a strip extending up the northeast side, along with all of Giles and a portion of Lincoln Counties.

Although the State Senate seat does not appear on the November 8 ballot, it’s worth noting that all of Lawrence County is in a new State Senate District. We are now the easternmost county in District 26, which also includes Wayne, Hardin, McNairy, Chester, Hardeman, Fayette, and Haywood Counties. We are represented by State Senator Page Walley, who was elected to a four-year term in 2020.

Redistricting also moved Lawrence County as a whole out of U.S. Congressional District 7 and into District 4 as its westernmost county. That seat does appear on the November 8 ballot.

The good news? You don’t have to worry about which district you’re in. Whether you vote early at the Election Commission office or at your precinct November 8, the ballot you see will be custom-made for you according to your address. If you have questions about where you vote on November 8, the Election Commission’s page on our website, LawrenceCountyTN.gov, includes a link to that information.

Statewide issues on the ballot include the Governor’s race and four proposed changes to the Tennessee Constitution. An important thing to remember is that you MUST vote for a gubernatorial candidate in order for your vote on the amendments to count.

According to the Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, all amendments will be presented as “yes” or “no” questions. A “yes” vote is to amend the constitution on that particular point; a “no” vote is to leave it as it is. In order for an amendment to pass, the “yes” votes must be a majority of the votes cast in the governor’s race.

“All votes for all candidates for governor will be added together and divided by two,” a press release explains. “The number of ‘yes’ votes must exceed that number. If that’s the case, the amendment passes.”

Amendment #1 “would add a new section to article XI of the Tennessee Constitution to make it illegal for any person, corporation, association, or the State of Tennessee or its political subdivisions to deny or attempt to deny employment to any person because of the person’s membership in, affiliation with, resignation from, or refusal to join or affiliate with any labor union or employee organization.”

Tennessee became a right-to-work state in 1947. Constitutional Amendment 1 would make it illegal for workplaces to require mandatory labor union membership for employees as a condition for employment.

 Amendment #2 provides for an emergency succession plan to the governor. Tennessee is the only state that does not have a plan for a temporary transition of power should the governor become medically incapacitated and unable to perform his duties. Passage of the amendment will provide for the speaker of the senate, who is also the lieutenant governor, to run the state until the time the governor can again assume his duties. 

Amendment #3 amends Article 1, Section 33 of our constitution, adopted in 1870. It states “That slavery and involuntary servitude, except as a punishment for crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted, are forever prohibited in this State.” The amended version eliminates wording related to those convicted of crimes with the clarification “Nothing in this section shall prohibit an inmate from working when the inmate has been duly convicted of a crime.”

Jails across the state, including Lawrence County’s, use inmate labor to accomplish a number of things. Non-violent inmates who pass a screening process are involved in our recycling, maintenance, litter pick-up and housekeeping departments, and we’re grateful to those who are willing to share their time and talent with us. But some who qualify to join these work crews simply choose not to, and they are allowed to stay in the jail.

“Yes on 3” has widespread bipartisan support. Former U.S. Senator and Yes on 3 Advisory Board member Bob Corker has stated, “When I served as Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, I became aware of the travesty that modern slavery today affects more than 27 million people worldwide. Working with others we passed legislation to begin to counter this in a more effective way. I think it is more than timely to strike any reference to slavery from our state constitution and I appreciate the work of those leading the effort to do so.”

Amendment #4 removes a clause that prohibits clergy members from holding office in the Tennessee House or Senate. The U.S. Supreme Court declared such prohibitions unconstitutional in 1978 and the existing language in our Constitution is not enforced. Several pastors currently serve in the Tennessee General Assembly, including our own new State Senator Page Walley.

Early voting hours at the Election Commission office are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 8 a.m. to noon, October 19 through November 3.

David Morgan