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House approves ban on holding two elected offices at once, with grandfather clause
Summary
House Bill 618, a one-sentence bill, passed the Tennessee House to bar an individual from holding a local elected office and another elected state office simultaneously; sponsors included a grandfather clause and specified exclusions.
The Tennessee House voted to pass House Bill 618 on third and final consideration, a one-sentence measure that prohibits an individual from holding an elected office of a local government and simultaneously holding another elected office in the state.
Representative Wright, sponsor of HB 618, told the chamber the bill "prohibits an individual from holding an elected office of a local government and holding another elected office in the state at the same time. It does contain a grandfather clause and does not apply to state executive committees." He moved passage and renewed the motion during floor debate.
Representative Hart said he could not support the bill for his rural district, saying his area relies on officials who have served multiple roles and long tenures. "For my rural district, we don't have people beating the bushes down to serve," Hart said, adding that voters should decide whether a willing official may serve in multiple roles.
Representative Moon moved the previous question during debate. The clerk recorded the vote as 61 in favor and 27 opposed. The presiding officer declared the bill passed.
The bill's text as described on the floor is brief and focused on incompatible dual holdings; the sponsor said the measure contains a grandfather clause and does not apply to state executive committees. No statutory citations or exact grandfathering dates were read into the record during the floor remarks.
