House discovers septic tanks, English language don’t mix

Septic tanks and requiring English in the workplace became mixed in a cesspool of partisan politics Thursday in the state House.

The uproar began after Republicans tried to amend a bill involving septic tanks to go 180 degrees in the opposite direction — allowing employers to make their employees speak English while on the job.

“It devalues our language and our culture and damages our country when you tell the owner of a mom and pop business here in the state of Tennessee that he cannot create a rule requiring his employees to speak the English language,” said Rep. Matthew Hill (R-Jonesborough), who sponsored the move.

Democrats reacted swiftly, denouncing Hill’s amendment as being completely unrelated to septic tanks.

“I fail to see how English as a second language has anything to do with septic tanks,” said Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville), who sponsored the septic tank legislation.

In a vote mainly along party lines, the Democrats killed Hill’s amendment on a 51-46 vote and passed Gilmore’s septic tank bill — which involved notice provisions for the sewage systems — unanimously.

The flare-up sparked speeches from both the Democratic and Republican leaders about courtesy to fellow lawmakers.

House Majority Leader Gary Odom (D-Nashville) said the GOP amendment, which Odom says Hill added Thursday morning and never told Gilmore about, showed a lack of respect to Gilmore.

“To me, that has a lot to say about the seriousness of the amendment’s sponsor,” Odom said. “Now we can do this, we can play these games for the next few weeks that we’re going to be in session, and that’s going to make the days a lot longer and a lot harder.”

In response, House Minority Leader Jason Mumpower (R-Bristol) said Hill’s amendment was permitted under House rules.

“Nothing that’s happened has been out of line with what has been the common practice of this House,” Mumpower said.

Amending bills on the floor has long been a Republican tactic to bring votes on often-controversial issues to the full body.

Democrats, who have a 53-46 majority in the House, control the body’s committee system, with House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh (D-Covington) having appointment powers.

GOP-backed bills sometimes — or oftentimes depending on the subject — aren’t approved by a committee, and therefore can’t reach the House floor.

As a result of those circumstances, Republicans look for bills on the House calendar that can be amended to require a vote on a GOP agenda item.

For example, earlier this year, Rep. Mike Bell (R-Riceville) tried to amend a resolution urging the investigation of oil companies for possible price gouging to instead encourage drilling in the Arctic Wildlife National Refuge.

Like the amendment on English in the workplace, Democrats defeated that try with some GOP support.