Legislation fun

I was up in Nashville dealing with my own bill two-step when this issue was occuring in Judiciary. Although I missed the actual incident, the fun was captured on YouTube for later enjoyment. I am glad there is a Stacey Campfield up there, he is quite refreshing.
M

Tennessean Article - 4/22/08

The bill dies. The debate lives on.

When House Bill 1523 came up in the state House Judiciary Committee last week, the committee wasted little time banishing the legislation, which would have allowed fathers to shed legal obligations for children proved through DNA tests not to be their own.


Within five minutes, the bill was all but dead. But before the bill was sent to the purgatory known as summer study, Rep. Rob Briley unleashed a blistering barrage of questions against the sponsor, Rep. Stacey Campfield, questioning him about pre-marital sex, infidelity and child support.

The unexpected attack from Briley, a Nashville Democrat, has earned the bill a second life of sorts on YouTube, where the testy give-and-take was posted after the legislation sank in the committee.

The clip is hardly unusual. YouTube has become a repository of memorable political moments, among them the video footage of Briley's own arrest for drunk driving last year.

His apology on the House floor was, in turn, also posted to the site.

Political fortunes increasingly rise and fall on such moments. During the 2006 U.S. Senate race, Harold Ford Jr.'s so-called "Memphis Meltdown" — a widely viewed parking lot confrontation with opponent Bob Corker — is considered to have been a factor in Ford's failed run.

And on the national stage, U.S. Sen. George Allen's comment derisively calling a rival's campaign worker "macaca" is seen as a turning point eventually leading to Allen's loss in Virginia.

There are plenty of congenial moments in Tennessee politics enshrined on YouTube, such as Rep. Curry Todd's comments on the House floor poking fun at Rep. Frank Buck's fashion sense, House Republican Leader Jason Mumpower's presentation of orange pants to House speaker Jimmy Naifeh, and Sen. John Wilder's retirement speech in the Senate.

The discussion of Campfield's bill, though, is notable for its testiness and personal nature.

Campfield — who may be the House's most outspoken conservative — described the intent of the bill as relieving non-biological fathers of their responsibility for paying for child support for children who are not theirs. Briley then opened up by calling the bill "the most anti-child piece of legislation I've seen in 10 years, by far."

Briley then asked Campfield, "Do you believe that pre-marital sex is appropriate?"

Campfield responds, "I don't see what that has to do with this bill."

Briley fired back, "It has everything to do with this bill."

Campfield responded: "Explain to me how."

After more back and forth, in which Campfield looks by turns irate and flustered, Briley asked, "Do you believe, in your opinion, that adultery is appropriate?" Campfield responded no, prompting Briley to ask, "yet you want to punish the child that may result from an adulterous situation?"

"No," Campfield said. "Well, that's what you're doing here," Briley shot back.

After more sniping, at the end of which Campfield complained, "I don't understand your question," Briley asked for the bill to be sent to summer study. Chairman Kent Coleman, D-Murfreesboro, took a voice vote and obliged.

The segment ends with Campfield's plaintive conclusion: "Thank you Mr. Chairman — I guess."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3NfNAkhDzk


Contact Theo Emery at 726-4889 or temery@tennessean.com.