PHILIP GUNN’S BILL READING BATTLE: OUTSMARTING DEMOCRATIC DELAYS

On The Clay Edwards Show, I sat down with former Mississippi House Speaker Philip Gunn, who shared a sharp anecdote about outmaneuvering Democratic tactics in the legislature. Philip explained how Democrats, frustrated during a recent special session ending May 29, 2025, invoked an 1894 constitutional rule to force word-for-word bill readings—essentially a filibuster to stall proceedings until 2 a.m. This was a protest, likely over budget priorities, as Democrats felt sidelined by Republican spending choices. Philip recounted how, during his tenure as Speaker from 2012 to 2024, Democrats often used this tactic to slow things down when they were in the minority. To counter it, he cranked up the speed on a computer program used to read bills, dubbed the “demon chipmunk” by critics, making the readings comically fast and incomprehensible. This sparked a 2016 lawsuit from Rep. Jay Hughes, D-Oxford, claiming it violated the Constitution’s spirit, but the Mississippi Supreme Court ruled 7-2 in Philip’s favor in 2017, citing legislative autonomy. He noted a 2013-2014 instance where a two-and-a-half-hour reading of a charter school bill backfired on Democrats, giving him time to rally absent Republicans for a winning vote. Broadcasting from Flora, I laughed with Philip over his clever workaround, highlighting his savvy leadership in navigating Mississippi’s political trenches.