Tennessee Democrats Face Expulsion Vote After Gun Reform Protest

The Tennessee House of Representatives is facing a backlash from protesters following its decision to vote on expelling three Democratic lawmakers for leading a gun reform protest in the chamber. After Representative Justin Jones was expelled over the demonstration, which took place after a mass shooting at a Nashville school, a two-thirds majority vote against Gloria Johnson was required to expel her. The vote for expulsion fell short, 65-30, but the third Democrat involved, Justin Pearson, is due to face a possible vote on Thursday. Many protesters at the Capitol building called for gun reform legislation, arguing that expelling lawmakers detracted from that process.
been silenced by a party that is acting like authoritarians.”
As he left the Capitol on Thursday, Jones said he is not sure what his next steps are following his expulsion.
“I will continue to show up to this Capitol with these young people whether I’m in that chamber or outside,” Jones told reporters.
Expulsions are very rare In the last 157 years, the House has expelled only two lawmakers, which requires a two-thirds vote: In 1980, after a representative was found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office, and in 2016, when another was expelled over allegations of sexual harassment.
This week, Sexton said the three Democrats’ actions “are and always will be unacceptable” and broke “several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor.”
Sexton said peaceful protesters have always been welcomed to the capitol to have their voices heard on any issue, but that the actions of the Democratic lawmakers had detracted from that process.
“In effect, those actions took away the voices of the protestors, the focus on the six victims who lost their lives, and the families who lost their loved ones,” Sexton said in a series of tweets Monday.
“We cannot allow the actions of the three members to distract us from protecting our children. We will get through this together, and it will require talking about all solutions,” Sexton said.
During the discussion Thursday, Democratic Rep. Joe Towns called the move to expel the “nuclear option.”
“You never use a sledgehammer to kill a gnat,” Towns said. “We should not go to the extreme of expelling our members for fighting for what many of the citizens want to happen, whether you agree with it or not.”
Protesters gather to oppose expulsion, call for gun reform The move to expel the trio drew protesters to the Capitol Thursday morning, with many wanting to express both their opposition to the lawmakers’ removal from office – chants of “We stand with the Tennessee three,” were heard outside – as well as support for gun reform legislation.

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To some, the vote to expel Johnson, Jones and Pearson was a distraction from the real issue: Keeping children safe.
“I want people to know this is not a political issue, it’s a child issue,” Deborah Castellano, a first-grade teacher in Nashville, told CNN. “If you wash away Democrat, Republican, it’s about kids and do we want them to be safe or not. I will stand in front of children and protect as many as I can with my body … but we shouldn’t have to, and those kids shouldn’t be afraid.”
Paul Slentz, a retired United Methodist pastor, knows two of the lawmakers personally, he said, adding it was wrong for them to face a vote for their expulsion.
“They’re good people,” Slentz told CNN affiliate WSMV in an interview outside the Capitol. “They have strong moral convictions. They are people of faith.”
Discussion Thursday began with Republicans playing footage of the protest last week, showing Jones, Johnson and Pearson standing in the well of the House and using the bullhorn to address their colleagues and protesters in the gallery.
Democrats were opposed to having the footage played, arguing it was unfair because they had not seen the video before. However, the Republicans argued that the footage was necessary to provide context for the vote.
While the vote to expel Johnson failed, the possibility of Pearson's expulsion looms. The outcome of the vote may have significant implications for the future of gun reform in Tennessee and the United States. As the issue of gun violence continues to plague the country, the actions of lawmakers on both sides of the aisle will undoubtedly continue to be scrutinized. Despite the failed attempt to expel Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson from Tennessee’s Republican-controlled House of Representatives, tensions remain high in the state capital. Last week, Johnson, along with two other Democrats, led a gun reform protest on the House floor in response to a mass shooting at a Nashville school. The House later expelled Rep. Justin Jones over that protest, and the third Democrat involved, Justin Pearson, faces a possible vote on his removal from office Thursday.