"I have always made my focus staying in accordance to the laws of God, even when my votes are made," said DeBerry, who is also a minister in the Church of Christ.
During his time in office, DeBerry supported the state's fetal heartbeat bill, which would ban abortions after detection of a fetal heartbeat, usually when an unborn baby is around six to eight weeks old.
He also opposed the redefinition of marriage, and supports the "right" and responsibility of parents to educate their children and make choices for them.
In addition to DeBerry's pro-life positions, he is also a life-long civil rights activist. As a child, he attended civil rights marches with his father.
In a passionate speech on the Tennessee House Floor in August, during the second extraordinary session of the state's general assembly, DeBerry contrasted the peaceful nature of the protests he witnessed and participated in as a youth with riots in U.S. cities in the last few months.
"I am one of those individuals who walked in back doors because the law said I had to," he said in his speech Aug. 12, while recalling the bravery and dignity of the civil rights movement.
"I saw men and women stand with courage and integrity and class, and they changed the world," he said. "They marched peacefully, and Dr. King stood for that which was peaceful."
"They didn't beg for anything. They didn't beg for citizenship--they demanded it," he said. "They did it by standing like men and women of integrity."
In the wake of civil unrest in many U.S. cities, DeBerry condemned what he called defenses of rioting, looting, and violence in the name of anti-racism during his August speech.
"You're telling me that somebody has the right to throw feces and urine in the faces of those that we as taxpayers pay to protect us? And that's okay?" he asked.
"What has happened to us?"
(Story continues below)
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.