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Lawmakers pay tribute to Douglas Henry at Tennessee Capitol

Joel Ebert
USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee
Lt. Governor and Speaker of the Senate Randy McNally,left, hugs Speaker of the House Beth Harwell as former Speaker of the House Jimmy Naifeh stands by during Sen. Douglas Henry’s visitation at Tennessee State Capitol Legislative Library on Thursday, March 9, 2017.

Lawmakers paid tribute on Thursday to the late Sen. Douglas Henry, the longest serving lawmaker in state history, by once again offering prayers, stories and other tributes before visiting with family members of the Nashville Democrat who died earlier in the week.

During the morning floor session, the desk that Henry previously sat at in the Senate, which is currently occupied by Sen. Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, was seen draped with a black cloth with iris flowers on top. Members of the Senate also had iris flowers pinned to their chest.

Once the chamber concluded its floor session, Senators moved across the hall to the legislative library where Henry's body was lying in state.

Outside the library, a large black and white photo of Henry, guest books and flowers welcomed visitors, who were allowed to begin paying respects around 10 a.m.

Inside the library, Henry's casket was adorned with the state flag.

Henry, who died late Sunday night at the age of 90, is the first person to lie in state in the state Capitol in nearly a century. The practice was used in 1933 after Gov. Benton McMillin died, according to The Tennessean archives.

Read more:

Douglas Henry, longest-serving member of Tennessee legislature, dies at 90

Opinion: Rest in peace, Sen. Henry

When the visitation began, members of the Senate, led by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, were given the opportunity to enter the room first. House lawmakers, lobbyists, and members of the public lined up in the second floor hallway to await their opportunity to pay their respects.

After visiting with Henry's family, McNally reflected on his friend and former colleague, calling him one of a kind.

"He loved the state and loved the people," said McNally, who is set to speak at Friday's funeral service.

House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, who was teary-eyed while giving interviews to reporters, said Henry was without a doubt "one of the finest men I've ever known and he left a legacy of tremendous service to our great state."

Gov. Bill Haslam, who briefly stopped by to pay his respects, said he wasn’t surprised by how many came to pay tribute to Henry. He said there was a similar sentiment of support when the governor mentioned the longtime lawmaker during a State of the State speech the resulted in a cascade of applause that lasted for minutes.

The event reminded Haslam of how important Henry was to the state.

Although people remember Henry for his ability to reach across the aisle and his keen interest in keeping Tennessee in a sound financial state, Haslam said he will remember Henry for something else.

“I think was just a real sense of decency,” he said. “It’s easy to lose your decency and he never did.”

Among those in line was Nashville Mayor Megan Barry, who said it was an honor to be able to stand with so many people who came to remember him. Barry, who called Henry a trailblazer and a great reminder of the importance of bipartisanship, said she opted to stand in line because wanted to be able to swap stories about Henry.

"When you come to celebrate a life, it's about taking a moment and remembering that life," she said.

Former House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh, who served 38 years in the legislature, said Henry was not only well-respected in Tennessee but throughout the country.

"Different leaders across this country knew who Senator Henry was and everyone had the highest regard for him," Naifeh said.

Naifeh, a Democrat, said he wasn't surprised by the outpouring of support for Henry from those on both sides of the political spectrum.

"He didn't see party lines," the former speaker said, adding that although he didn't agree with Henry on everything they worked out their disagreements, whether it be on social issues or budgetary items.

Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, said Thursday's visitation was indicative of how many people Henry touched during his life.

"There's an old saying — you ask an old man how would you like to be remembered and he simply says, 'Well I would just like to be remembered'," Watson said. "This is our way of saying thank you for a life well lived and thank you for a life of public service."

Among the non-politicians present Thursday, were veterans Bobby Reynolds and John Furgess.

Reynolds, who is the commander of the American Legion Nashville Post 5, said Henry was a member of the legion for 71 years. "He was a bit of an icon," Reynolds said.

Furgess, a former Post 5 commander, said Henry was one of the staunchest supporters of veterans in the legislature. "We miss him terribly," Furgess said. "He was a great man."

Dewey Branstetter Jr. said when he was running for school board in 1982 Henry, who was running unopposed in his election, campaigned for him.

“I ended up winning that race by like 90 votes," Branstetter said. "I can’t help but think that he contributed to put me over the top."

Keith Jordan, who served two terms in the state Senate in the 1990s representing Williamson County, said he didn’t think partisan politics entered Henry’s mind when he debated or voted on a bill.

Jordan said when he introduced a bill that would have turned redistricting over to a nonpartisan commission, Henry voted in favor of the measure.

“That was at a time when the Democrats controlled both houses and it was considered a mortal sin to do anything to take the redistricting powers away from the Democratic majority at the time,” he said.

The long line of visitors winnowed down by noon, with Thursday's visitation resuming at 2 p.m. and lasting until 6 p.m.

A conservative Democrat, Henry represented Nashville's Senate District 21 for 44 years. He earned the respect of members of both parties and was considered by his friends and allies to be the epitome of a southern statesman and gentleman.

In lieu of flowers, the family has said a memorial contribution may be made to The Downtown Presbyterian Church.

A memorial service will take place Friday at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Presbyterian Church at 154 Fifth Avenue North.

Reach Joel Ebert at jebert@tennessean.com or 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.