Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) on Monday attended a public hearing where the Shelby County Commission approved a resolution to hold a public hearing over the proposal by xAI, the artificial intelligence company owned by Elon Musk, to install methane gas turbines that will help power its Memphis supercomputer.
The Shelby County Commission on Monday approved the resolution by Commissioner Miska Clay Bibbs, which called for a public hearing prior to the approval or denial of a permit sought by the local property management company affiliated with xAI.
“I represent 72,000 people who didn’t get to have any say on whether or not Elon Musk and Brent Mayo and all these folks put gas turbines in our community, in the air with nearly 10 tons of formaldehyde,” said Pearson at the commission meeting, according to Fox 13. Video of the commission meeting was unavailable at press time.
Pearson later described the success of the resolution as “a win” to the outlet, before suggesting it would preface more activism in Memphis aimed at opposing Musk and his company.
“We’re gonna call people, we’re gonna text folks,” Pearson told the outlet. “We got to send thousands of comments against Elon Musk, putting more gas and more pollution in our environment, in our neighborhood. And it is only a step in the right direction. There has to be regulation that comes behind this.”
Pearson’s urging to “send thousands of comments against Elon Musk” came just days after he lunged at State Representative Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) on the State House floor in video that since went viral.
During a debate over Pearson’s gun control legislation, after the Democrat accused lawmakers of failing to pass legislation that increases public safety, Farmer noted that Pearson was not in attendance for most of the legislative session after the suicide of his brother, prompting Pearson to curse and lunge at the Republican.
In an earlier interview with Fox 13, Pearson seemed to shift blame to Farmer for the interaction that saw him physically restrained by colleagues and staff members, before also suggesting Republicans were to blame for the death of his brother
“It’s because the inaction of people who are intransigent to this Republican, in this Republican party and in this Tennessee General Assembly, that we are dealing with the heartache and the pain that we are with the loss of my own brother,” Pearson told the outlet. “And instead of trying to pass laws to deal with that, we’re getting a representative in essence saying, because I’ve been dealing with that grief, I don’t deserve to speak about this issue.”
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Tom Pappert is the lead reporter for The Tennessee Star, and also reports for The Pennsylvania Daily Star and The Arizona Sun Times. Follow Tom on X/Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Image “State Rep Justin Pearson” by Shelby County Commission.
If Pearson’s brother was bent on killing himself and a gun was not available he would have found another way. This legislator has time and time again disrespected the TN Assembly and has been nothing but a trouble maker.
Elections have consequences.
Nashvillians vote these fools in, then they want to take away your 2nd Amendment.
Pearson is an incompetent child, with no life experience or adult responsibility.
His education is a joke, and worth nothing since he has no common sense. He has plenty of self indulging narcissism. Loves the spotlight, no matter how stupid he looks.
How can he function like an experienced, hardworking adult? He is a coddled toddler.
Democrats behavior reminds me of the Marx Brothers song; Whatever It Is, I’m Against It.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHash5takWU