Janice Bowling challenges ouster from Tennessee Republican Party panel

photo Republican Janice Bowling

NASHVILLE - Recently elected state Sen. Janice Bowling is fighting her removal from the Tennessee Republican Party's executive committee for having missed three consecutive meetings.

State Republicans said the removal was automatic after Bowling missed a Dec. 1 meeting.

The Tullahoma lawmaker said that while she was unable to attend called committee meetings in March and June, she thought she had avoided a problem by securing "valid proxy" for purposes of constituting a quorum and voting.

Bowling said she participated in at least one, possibly two, party meetings conducted by telephone following the March and June meetings. She contends she didn't miss three "consecutive" meetings.

She said she missed last week's meeting because of a secondary infection due to a "severe allergic reaction." She said she ran a high fever and was treated with antibiotics.

Bowling, who was elected Nov. 6 to represent District 16, said she suspects the cause of her illness was black mold in her Senate office.

Arkansas-Tennessee Live Blog

She said she notified party officials she would have to miss the meeting.

State Republican Party Chairman Chris Devaney has said automatic removal is in the bylaws.

But Bowling wrote to him with her arguments about the proxies and the telephone meetings.

And after speaking with her, Devaney said, "We are currently looking into her interpretation [of the rules] and will not move forward with the process of filling the vacant position set forth in our bylaws until the matter has been thoroughly reviewed."

Upcoming Events