Montana legislators canceled a floor session in the Statehouse on Tuesday, a day after protesters were arrested while demanding that transgender lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr be allowed to speak.
, a transgender Democrat silenced by lawmakers for comments against bans on gender-affirming care, be allowed to speak.
"Currently, all representatives are free to participate in House debates while following the House rules," Regier told reporters."The choice to not follow the House rules is one that Rep. Zephyr has made. The only person silencing Rep. Zephyr is Rep. Zephyr. The Montana House will not be bullied." Much like developments in the Tennessee Statehouse weeks ago — where two lawmakers were expelled after participating in a post-school shooting gun control protest that interrupted proceedings — Zephyr's punishment has ignited a firestorm of debate about governance and democracy in politically polarizing times.
Though several resisted law enforcement officers trying to arrest them, Abbott pushed back at characterizing the activity as violent. She acknowledged it was disruptive, but called the demonstration peaceful. She said public protests were a predictable response to a lawmaker representing more than 10,000 constituents not being allowed to speak and questioned bringing in officers in riot gear to handle the chanting protestors.
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Standoff endures over Montana transgender Democrat's remarksA standoff has endured over whether Montana Republicans will let a transgender Democrat in the state House participate in proceedings. Protests and arrests have galvanized those demanding Rep. Zooey Zephyr be allowed to speak and others saying her actions constitute an unprecedented attack on civil discourse. The Montana Freedom Caucus re-upped their demands of legislative leaders to discipline Zephyr after protesters chanting on her behalf interrupted proceedings in the Statehouse on Monday. The standoff continues to boil and will likely take on expanded significance in the nationwide debate over the role of protest in democracy.
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