The Republican-controlled Legislature in Tennessee has expelled two Democratic members of the Statehouse for their involvement in a protest for gun control following the Nashville school shooting. Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville and Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis were expelled after leading chants from a podium on the House floor using a megaphone, while Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville narrowly avoided expulsion. A two-thirds majority vote was required to remove the lawmakers, and Republicans currently hold 75 of the 99 seats in the Statehouse.
The expelled lawmakers are both 27-year-old Black men in their first term, while Johnson is a 60-year-old white woman in her fourth term. Johnson suggested that the decision to expel them may have been influenced by their race. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, compared their actions to the January 6 assault on the US Capitol, calling them “at least equivalent, maybe worse…of doing an insurrection in the Capitol.”
While the protest did cause a temporary halt to work in the Statehouse, no protesters broke into the building, damaged property, or were arrested. They were allowed in after going through security screening. Republicans argued that the trio had violated the chamber’s rules of procedure by approaching the podium without being called upon.
The expelled lawmakers have the option to run for their seats again and, if reelected, cannot be expelled for the same offense. Supporters of the lawmakers gathered inside and outside the Capitol during the expulsion vote, chanting in support of the so-called Tennessee Three. Prior to the vote, each of the targeted Democrats had the opportunity to address the chamber. Jones referred to the vote against him as a “lynch mob assembled to not lynch me but our democratic process.” Pearson emphasized that the movement for justice cannot be killed because it lives in everyone.
The expulsions received significant national attention, with President Joe Biden expressing shock and criticism on Twitter. He called the expulsion of lawmakers engaged in peaceful protest “undemocratic and unprecedented.” The decision to expel the lawmakers raises concerns about free speech and the ability of elected officials to voice their constituents’ concerns. It also highlights the ongoing debate around gun control and the tension between Democrats and Republicans on the issue. The outcome of this incident may have broader implications for the future of protests and political dissent within the Statehouse and beyond.
