Tennessee Democrats push to bring second expelled lawmaker back to House

After the first state representative was restored on Monday, Tennessee Democrats will push for the reinstatement of the second state representative who was expelled for leading a gun control protest on the statehouse floor.

When Justin Jones was reinstated by the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, he raised his fist and yelled “power to the people” as he entered the state House of Representatives.

When the Shelby County Board of Commissioners considers reinstating him to his Memphis district on Wednesday, his fellow young Black lawmaker Justin Pearson, who was also expelled, may receive a similar vote.

“You may attempt to hush it. You could try to push it out. Nonetheless, the power of the people will not be curbed “Outside the council rooms, Pearson spoke to his supporters. “This is how democracy appears.”

Jones and Pearson were fired last week by Republican lawmakers for acting improperly.

Democrats have used the turmoil as a rallying cry for support on topics like democracy, gun violence, and racial inequity.

Jones and Pearson have consistently drawn sizable crowds, such as the one that joined them on March 30 to oppose Republican gun policies in response to the Nashville school massacre on March 27 that left three 9-year-old students and three adults dead.

Over 600 demonstrators gathered in front of the Metropolitan Council on Monday when it voted 36-0 to appoint Jones, 27, as the temporary representative.

As a result of the vote, supporters screamed in joy “Whose home? Signs that read “Protect kids, not weapons” and “Stop sales of AR15” were displayed alongside the cries of “Our house!” and “No Justin, no peace.””

Many them accompanied Jones to the statehouse, gathered around him as he was sworn in on the stairs, and applauded when he took his place again.

Since voting to remove Jones and Pearson, Republican lawmakers have mainly kept quiet. They emphasized the seriousness of upsetting the regular flow of business and stifling representatives with opposing viewpoints throughout the debate.

They continue to possess a 75-23 supermajority and have not showed much concern for voter backlash. Jones and Pearson were expelled, but they fell one vote short of the two-thirds majority required to dismiss Representative Gloria Johnson, a white woman who participated in the demonstration with Jones and Pearson but, unlike them, did not scream via a megaphone.