Tennesee House Speaker Cameron Sexton pushed back on the assertion that House Bill 1201 censors conservative pushback and argued the bill exposes dark money in politics.
House Bill 1201, sponsored by the Tennesee State Speaker targets, 501(c)(4) nonprofits who use the name or likeness of a political candidate 60 prior to an election.
“All this bill really does is say, if you’re going to spend money 60 days prior to an election, more than $5000, all you have to do is report where you spent that money,” Sexton told Wake Up Memphis Monday.On Friday, Tennessee Stands founder Gary Humble, who is running for State Senate in Middle Tennessee, told Tim Van Horn that an amendment tacked on to House Bill 1201 would limit free speech. View the Amendment here, specifically Section 13 on page nine.
But Sexton says the bill allows nonprofits like Tennesee Stands to still donate to political campaigns, but it must be reported. The Speaker of the House took a shot at Humble, comparing the activism of the GOP candidate to the actions of George Soros.
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“This is the same thing that George Soros is doing in campaigns. He’s opening up 501(c)(4)’s, putting in millions of dollars, and going after a conservative candidate,” Sexton said. “So all we’re saying is it shouldn’t matter if you’re conservative or if you’re a liberal organization or a nonpartisan organization. We’re treating everybody the same, whether you’re George Soros or Gary Humble.”You can catch the Speaker’s full interview below:
