Sen. Joey Hensley, MD

Vote Yes on 4: Repeal the ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly

The 4th and final constitutional amendment on the November 8 ballot would remove an antiquated, unconstitutional and unenforced ban on clergy serving in the General Assembly. I urge voters to cast a “yes” vote on this amendment to officially repeal the ban.

The amendment would delete article IX, section I of the Tennessee Constitution, which prohibits ministers of the gospel and priests of any denomination from holding a seat in either the House or Senate. Banning clergy from serving in state legislatures was a trend in th...