After a contentious session in the Tennessee House on Thursday two Democrat state representatives were expelled from office by their congressional colleagues.
Thursday afternoon, State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) (pictured above) was officially removed from the Tennessee state legislature by a vote of 72-25.
Members fell short in their effort to expel fellow Knoxville-area Democrat State Rep. Gloria Johnson (pictured below) by one vote, 65-30. A super majority of 66 was required.
Johnson’s successful defense hinged on the veteran lawmaker’s comparatively placid role in the takeover of the House Floor on March 30. The former teacher did not hold up signs or pound the podium, unlike her Democrat cohorts Jones and Pearson.
Consideration of Resolution HR0063 to expel State Rep Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) (pictured below) ended Thursday evening with the removal of the progressive firebrand by a vote of 69-26.
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During the Thursday session, lawmakers voted to enact resolution and HR0065, officially expelling Jones with a vote of 72-25.
Jones was expelled after his participation in a riot at the Capitol one week ago, and had an opportunity to speak for 20 minutes before facing questions from House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Cumberland County) and others.
Jones, in part, blamed the alleged influence of the National Rifle Association (NRA) upon Republican lawmakers in the Tennessee House.
He also claimed that he was simply standing up against gun violence on behalf of their constituents.
One of the main points of contention was that Jones used a bullhorn during an active session during Thursday’s right, while rioters attempted to break into the Capitol chambers, where state legislators’ offices are located.
Video from earlier in the day shows the now-expelled lawmaker and his counterparts entering the Tennessee House with fists raised, to much fanfare.
The #TennesseeThree, Rep. Justin Jones, Gloria Johnson, and Justin Pearson, walk into the House floor for the vote on their expulsion.
Hundreds of students from all over the state of Tennessee are here to support them in this fight for democracy. #Nashville pic.twitter.com/Bg8cXTgrte
— March For Our Lives ☮️🟧 (@AMarch4OurLives) April 6, 2023
Throughout the day, the House gallery was packed with protestors. More protestors gathered outside, many protesting for anti-gun policies.
Before the session, Jones circulated a letter to supporters asking them not to shout or scream inside the House gallery, warning that they would be thrown out of the gallery for such behavior.
He compared his supporters to the witnesses of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.
“Personally, I am begging you not to get kicked out of the gallery,” he wrote. “Today, I pray that you will be a witness just as the women at the crucifixion of Jesus were present, to tell the truth about the assault on democracy in the state of Tennessee.”
The Tennessee GOP shared the full letter to its Twitter account.
It’s never been about change for the 3 #TennesseeMe members. Their only interest is being in the spotlight. Today, they got what the wanted – the spotlight is on them, and suddenly they’re capable of inciting peace during session, instead of chaos. Where were your calls for… https://t.co/fQDhb2NcZh pic.twitter.com/MLTw0qeDra
— TN House Republicans (@tnhousegop) April 6, 2023
Thursday’s House Floor session began with a debate over HB 0332, which would provide schools with funding to hire armed security guards.
Pearson spoke out during the debate, saying that arming schools would contribute to the “school to prison pipeline,” while also warning that it could lead to “gun battles” in schools, or that a school resource officer could accidentally shoot an innocent student.
Rep. William Lamberth (R-Sumner County) responded by saying that schools with armed guards are not meant to be “prisons” to keep students in, but rather to be “fortresses” to keep bad actors out.
HB 0332 eventually passed the State House by an overwhelming margin.
The only “no” votes were from Jones, Johnson, Pearson and Rep. Torrey Harris (D-Shelby County).
The House passed further bills regarding mental health treatment, combatting overdoes, preventing parental fraud, wherein a man is tricked into believing that he fathered a child with a woman, a bill addressing barber and cosmetology licensure among others.
Last week’s anti-gun riot stemmed from a mass shooting at the hands of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, who identified as transgender, who killed six people in a murderous rampage at The Covenant Presbyterian School last Monday.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Image “Rep. Justin Jones” by Tennessee General Assembly.
Why was Big Mouth Gloria Johnson not expelled too? Republicans lost a lot of respect today!
these idiots played right into the hands of the race hucksters by not expelling the white lady too.
how stupid are they.
she should have been tossed as well.
now all we will hear is cries of racism.
Should have been all three of them. Pitiful thing is now our council will just put them back in place with the mayors approval. Need new leaders in this city.
Of course the race card got played. Sorry you communist fools, it’s you character NOT the color of your skin.
Metro Nashville council members are already talking about a special called meeting next week to fill the vacancy created by the expulsion of Justin Jones. Mayor Cooper and certain council members are saying that the council will choose Jones to fill his own vacancy—in effect, disrespecting the vote of the Tennessee House of Representatives yesterday.
This is just a thought—the legal scholars will need to vet this further, but, while Article II, section 12 of the Tennessee Constitution states that a member may not be expelled by a house of the General Assembly a second time for the same offense, the focus should be upon the word, EXPEL.
Article II, section 11 of the Tennessee Constitution states that each house of the General Assembly shall be the judge of the qualifications and the election of its members, with a focus upon the words, QUALIFICATIONS and ELECTION.
I submit that expulsion from a legislative seat is not the same thing as a house being the judge of a prospective member’s qualifications and election to the vacancy created by the earlier expulsion.
The resolutions of expulsion adopted by the General Assembly in the cases of Justin Jones and Justin Pearson expressly expelled each “from his seat as a member of the House of Representatives of the One Hundred Thirteenth General Assembly of the State of Tennessee.” Therefore, arguably, neither Jones nor Pearson shall be QUALIFIED to be ELECTED by their respective county legislative body to their former seat in the Tennessee House FOR THE REMAINDER of the 113th General Assembly.
While there is little decisional law on this subject because there have been few expulsions from the Tennessee General Assembly in the last two hundred plus years, nevertheless, the decisional law that does exist plainly holds that “The House of Representatives has exclusive jurisdiction to determine the eligibility of its members and its decision is final as to a member’s right to the office and a right to participate in the deliberations thereof.” Gates v. Long, 172 Tenn. 471, 113 S.W.2d 388 (1937).
As I said above, this is just a thought.
Well done TN legislators! This is the type of leadership among States necessary to thwart the left’s woke ridiculousness.
Fellow Williamson County residents, bet you didn’t know we have one of the most liberal Republicans in the General Assembly representing the western part of our county in Sam Whitson. True to form, Sam refused to vote on the expulsion of Jones and Pearson though he was present in the chamber and voted AGAINST expelling Johnson. Isn’t there any conservative in the 65th House District who will rid of this tepid conservative by opposing him in the Republican primary?
RINO Rep Haston was missing in action on all three votes.
Never will any liberal convince the common sense of this world that they want gun control legislation passed because of their concern for those who lost their precious lives in the recent school shooting in Nashville. If so, they would not want to kill unborn children with a fervent passion through abortion. Their hypocrisy is transparent because of their proven track record when dealing with the innocent, moral, and defenseless. Grand standing for their on political agenda is merely all we’re seeing here.
Now follow-up by passing full constitutional carry. We will not be overrun!
The expulsion was appropriate and I commend the legislators for their actions. i didn’t read in the article, is the expulsion permanent, can they run for the office again? Second, does the governor appoint their replacements? Let’s also be serious, taking students out of schools so they could attend the protest makes no sense especially when reading of the declining academic performance of the students in age standardized testing. They should be in class, so too, the teachers.
We need many more Republicans to grow a few.,
“Hundreds of students from all over the state of Tennessee are here to support them in this fight for democracy.” Actually, Liberals offer kids time out of school to go protest. Ask me what kid wouldn’t take a day off of school. This does not mean the kids supported or knew what was really going on. Liberals will use anyone or anything to make political points. This should have never been allowed.
Congratulations. Excellent work. This needs to be a standard punishment for any legislator who disrupts. It never will end otherwise. You have shown national Republicans what it is like to have a spine.
Just like a Dr Seuss story, the cajones of the TN Republicans grew two sizes bigger today.