After three Democrats staged a protest in support of gun control in the Tennessee House, state Republicans are taking steps to expel the politicians.
State Representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson staged demonstrations on the House floor last Thursday, with the support of others from the gallery, to draw attention to gun violence in the wake of the mass shooting that left six individuals dead at the Covenant School in Nashville.
Cameron Sexton, the Republican Speaker of the Tennessee House, striped the trio of their committee assignments following Thursday’s rally, which featured bullhorns and a legislative recess until calm was restored.
“They took that, at one point, to come up, out of order, and tried to take over the House floor. Started pulling out a megaphone and shouting at members to incite riots or violence. You had people on the south side of the chambers who rushed the state troopers to try to get inside the chambers. They weren’t successful. So, now we have multiple violations by those three,” Speaker Sexton said on a local radio station.
However, the state’s Black Caucus released a statement in support of the Democratic representatives calling the move an act of “political retribution [that] is unconstitutional and, in this moment, morally bankrupt.”
“The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators fundamentally objects to any effort to expel members for making their voices heard to end gun violence.”
Representative Jones, who had been temporarily banned in 2019 for throwing a cup of liquid at former House Speaker Glen Casada, shared a copy of the House resolution on Monday seeking to expel him from the body.
“A resolution to expel Justin Jones from his seat as a member of the House of Representatives…”
Just handed this on the House floor, but they still have to vote. We’ll not be intimidated. THE PEOPLE are demanding we act to stop kids from being murdered in school. #goodtrouble pic.twitter.com/SWvWA5tTPI
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 3, 2023
Republican state representatives – Bud Hulsey, Gino Bulso, and Andrew Farmer – filed the motion on Monday accusing the three Democratic representatives of “disorderly behavior” and “knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives,” following Thursday’s legislative disruption.
When the motion was introduced on Monday, protesters in the gallery began chanting “Fascists! Fascists!” as Speaker Sexton called for a vote, which eventually passed along party lines.
In the ensuing chaos on the House floor, Representative Jones was involved in a scuffle with fellow lawmaker, Justin Lafferty, over the possession of the former’s phone that was placed in the latter’s face.
Everyone needs to be paying attention to what's happening in Tennessee 🚨
3 lawmakers are about to be illegally ousted for joining the 10,000 kids protesting at the state capitol.
Stop following Trump's location and focus on protecting our democracy from fascism everywhere. https://t.co/uQKyWN2XQ0
— Congressman Jamaal Bowman (@RepBowman) April 4, 2023
“Representative Jones came to my desk and as I turned he shoved his phone in my face in a threatening manner. I reacted as anyone would,” Representative Lafferty told the Tennessean in a statement. “Attempts to characterize this as anything else are misleading and false. The three members who are in danger of losing their jobs are desperate to deflect attention away from their actions.”
The Tennessee House will first vote on whether or not to support the resolution before the expulsion process is initiated.
Only two other Tennessee House members have been expelled from the chamber since the Civil War.