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A key committee of the Tennessee House of Representatives rejected, today, an anti-Armenian resolution initiated by pro-Azerbaijan forces, once again dealing a serious setback to Baku's efforts to undermine the independence of the Republic of Nagorno Karabakh, reported Armenian National Committee of America (ANCA).

HR 145 resolution introduced by Representative Joe Towns (d) was declared failed. Tennessee becomes the fourth state in less than two months to reject deeply flawed pro-Azerbaijan measures, joining Hawaii, South Dakota, and Wyoming.

Steve Mesrobian, ANCA Eastern Region Board Chairman welcomed the decision of the Committee to stand strong against the Azerbaijani Government's efforts to mislead state legislators.

ANC Tennessee leader Bearj Barsoumian rallied Armenian Americans throughout the state to oppose the resolution, with activists meeting with over a dozen state legislators, educating them about the Republics of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh and Azerbaijan's ongoing blockade and aggression against the historically Christian states.

Tennessee ANC and community members had met with the lead sponsor of HR 145, Rep. Joe Towns (d), and urged him to reconsider his support for the bill. Unfortunately, Rep. Towns refused.

"Today's vote was proof-positive that our democracy is not for sale,” stated ANC Tennessee leader Bearj Barsoumian.

It reads that previously Azerbaijan spent huge sums of money flying former Obama Administration officials like David Plouffe, Jim Messina and Robert Gibbs and over 150 U.S. legislators - including some from Tennessee - on expensive junkets to its capital, Baku.
According to ANCA Tennessee news outlets, including Knoxnews.com and News Channel 5, reported extensively about these free trips to Azerbaijan, questioning the reasoning behind them.

Note that in February the House of Representatives of State of South Dakota rejected anti-Armenian resolution initiated by Azerbaijan. Besides, on February 12 the legislature of the U.S. State of Hawaii discussed and rejected two anti-Armenian bills which were funded by Azerbaijani government.