Monty Fritts
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Monty Fritts
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1963|12|10}}
| term_start = January 10, 2023
| term_end =
| preceded = Kent Calfee
| succeded =
| party = Republican
| alma_mater = Liberty University
University of Tennessee
| state_house = Tennessee
| district = 32nd
| image =
}}
Monty Fritts (born December 10, 1963) is an American politician.{{Cite web|url=https://www.themountainpress.com/roane/news/humbling-win-sends-fritts-to-legislature/article_a5e66400-436c-5e34-a1bd-fedcb6c6d2d5.html|title=Humbling' win sends Fritts to legislature|work=The Mountain Press|first=Damon|last=Lawrence|date=November 10, 2022|access-date=December 7, 2022}} A Republican, he represents the 32nd district in the Tennessee House of Representatives.{{Cite web|url=https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/legislatorinfo/member.aspx?district=H32|title=Representative Monty Fritts|work=Tennessee General Assembly|access-date=December 7, 2022}}
Education
Fritts attended Liberty University and the University of Tennessee.{{Cite web|url=https://www.news-herald.net/news/fritts-hahn-debate-before-nov-8-vote/article_bdf50d92-3da3-11ed-9b32-47222e42ff61.html|title=Fritts, Hahn debate before Nov. 8 vote|work=News-Herald|first=Hugh|last=Willett|date=September 28, 2022|access-date=December 7, 2022}}
Career
In August 2022, Fritts defeated Teresa Pesterfield Kirkham, Keaton Bowman, Donnie Hall and Randy Childs in the Republican primary election for the 32nd district of the Tennessee House of Representatives.{{Cite web|url=https://www.freep.com/elections/results/race/2022-08-04-state_house-R-TN-43109/|title=2022 Tennessee State House - District 32 Republican Primary Results|work=Detroit Free Press|date=August 4, 2022|access-date=December 7, 2022}} In November 2022, he defeated Jan Hahn in the general election.{{Cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/elections/results/race/2022-11-08-state_house-TN-43106/|title=2022 Tennessee State House - District 32 Election Results|work=The Arizona Republic|date=November 8, 2022|access-date=December 7, 2022}} He succeeded Kent Calfee.
On April 5, 2023, just weeks after a deadly school shooting, he voted to move a bill forward to arm teachers; a vote in direct opposition to his constituents wishes and members of the general public on-site protesting for gun reform.{{Cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2023-04-05/tennessee-advances-bill-to-arm-teachers-after-deadly-nashville-school-shooting/|title=Tennessee Advances Bill to Arm Teachers|work=US News & World Report|date=April 5, 2023|access-date=April 5, 2023}}
On April 11, 2024, Frits was one of only two house members who voted against bills SB 1917 and HB 2041 that would ban marriage between biological first cousins. The bills were subsequently approved by the House and Senate.{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox13memphis.com/news/bill-that-prohibits-first-cousins-marrying-each-other-passes-tennessee-general-assembly/article_c10ec67a-f833-11ee-a359-e7599e710536.html|title=Bill that prohibits first cousins marrying each other passes Tennessee General Assembly|work=WHBQ-TV|date=April 11, 2024|access-date=September 28, 2024}}
He and Gino Bulso voted against a ban on marriages between first cousins.https://www.newsweek.com/tennessee-republicans-fight-ban-cousins-married-1889510
In 2024, Fritts sponsored a state bill (SB2691) banning geoengineering, which was widely criticised as being influenced by the chemtrails conspiracy theory.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-68716894
References
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{{Authority control}}
{{Tennessee House of Representatives}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fritts, Monty}}
Category:Republican Party members of the Tennessee House of Representatives
Category:Liberty University alumni
Category:University of Tennessee alumni
Category:21st-century members of the Tennessee General Assembly
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