Controversy Continues as Ousted Lawmakers Fight for Gun Control and Their Seats in Tennessee

The recent expulsion of two Tennessee lawmakers from the state House of Representatives has sparked a firestorm of controversy, with both sides digging in their heels. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson were expelled from the House by the Republican super-majority after participating in a gun violence protest on the Legislature floor. Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also faced expulsion, survived by one vote.

In a group interview with ABC News on Monday, the three lawmakers discussed their fight to reduce gun violence and their belief that race played a factor in their expulsion. Johnson called the ousting of Jones and Pearson a "huge threat to democracy," stating that "we are silencing dissenting voices. We aren't listening to the people. The whole point of democracy is a people rule."

Jones and Pearson, who are Black, and Johnson, who is white, all feel that their race played a role in their expulsion. Despite pushback from state House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who called it a "false narrative," the lawmakers believe that the Republican super-majority was trying to silence their voices.

Leading Tennessee Republicans have defended the expulsions as necessary to restore order. State Rep. Jeremy Faison, the chair of the state House Republican Caucus, previously told CNN that "It's not possible for us to move forward with the way they were behaving in committee and on the House floor. There's got to be some peace." However, Johnson pushed back, stating that "They allowed us to speak more that day than they have in the last three to four years, I would say."

Jones and Pearson emphasized that their goal is to help their concerned constituents, stating that "This is going to set the tone for the years ahead if it's not addressed. And we went to that well [on the floor], calling for them to ban assault weapons. They responded by assaulting democracy."

Despite being disciplined beforehand, losing their committee assignments and ID badge access among other things, the lawmakers believe that their situation escalated when Sexton compared the post-Covenant gun control protests to the Jan. 6 insurrection. Jones argued that he was exercising his duty as a representative, stating that "We were obedient to … the oath we took to our constituents: Article Two, Section 27, of the Tennessee Constitution says that any member of the House or Senate has a right to dissent from and protest against any action or legislation that is injurious to the people."

As the controversy continues to rage on, with both sides refusing to back down, the reinstatement of Jones in an interim role until a special election is held and the upcoming special meeting to discuss next steps for Pearson will be closely watched. One thing is for sure, however – the fight for gun control and the fight for their seats in the House will continue for these three lawmakers.

Tennessee has been the center of a controversial and unprecedented expulsion vote in which three lawmakers, including two who were ousted, have vowed to continue their fight against gun violence. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson were expelled from the state House of Representatives by the Republican super-majority for participating in a raucous, unrecognized gun violence protest on the Legislature floor. The pair and Rep. Gloria Johnson, who also faced expulsion but survived by one vote.
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The lawmakers argued that their expulsion was a "huge threat to democracy" and silenced dissenting voices. Johnson, who is white, commended her fellow lawmakers, both of whom are Black, for their efforts in standing against the unjust treatment. The lawmakers, in turn, highlighted the issue of race and how it was a factor in their expulsion.

Leading Tennessee Republicans have defended the expulsions as necessary to restore order, but the lawmakers claim that the proceedings were not fair and that they were silenced during the March 30 demonstration. Jones said that they were "silenced" during the March 30 demonstration, and their microphones were cut off, prompting him to bring a bullhorn to speak.

Jones and Pearson used a bullhorn, leading chants on the House floor, which caused a disruption in legislative business. Although they acknowledged that they may have broken a rule on the House floor, they argued that they were exercising their duty as representatives. Pearson told ABC News that they had no idea that what they were doing would lead to their possible expulsion or their actual expulsions.

The lawmakers emphasized that their goal is to help their concerned constituents and reduce gun violence. Johnson, who has been pushing for more gun regulations for years, said that the issue of gun violence needs to be addressed urgently.

In response to gun violence, state Republicans have touted their efforts at "hardening" school security and increasing mental health resources. But the lawmakers argue that more needs to be done to address the root cause of the problem.

The Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously to reinstate Jones in an interim role until a special election is held. Meanwhile, a special meeting will be held on Wednesday by the Shelby County Commission to discuss next steps for Pearson.

The lawmakers' fight against gun violence is far from over. They hope that their efforts will help bring about change and ensure that their constituents are properly represented in the state House of Representatives. The expulsion of two Black lawmakers from the Tennessee state House of Representatives has sparked outrage and calls for justice. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson were expelled from their seats after participating in a gun violence protest on the legislature floor. The event was deemed "raucous" and "disruptive" by the Republican super-majority, who claimed that the lawmakers' behavior was unacceptable and a threat to democracy.

However, Jones and Pearson, along with Rep. Gloria Johnson, who narrowly escaped expulsion, say that their actions were necessary to call attention to the issue of gun violence and to push for meaningful change. They argue that their expulsion was politically motivated and racially biased, and that the state House speaker, Cameron Sexton, is guilty of creating a false narrative of violence in order to justify their removal.

In an interview with ABC News, Johnson called the ousting of Jones and Pearson a "huge threat to democracy." She argued that by silencing dissenting voices, the Republican super-majority is failing to listen to the people, which is the whole point of democracy. Jones and Pearson concurred, emphasizing that their goal is to help their concerned constituents, and that their expulsion was a clear example of the ways in which democracy is being eroded in Tennessee.

Despite the claims by Republicans that the expulsion proceedings were fair and included due process, Johnson pushed back, arguing that the lawmakers were only allowed to speak because they knew the world was watching. She said that the Republican super-majority has not allowed them to speak for the last three to four years, and that their expulsion was a clear attempt to silence their voices and to maintain the status quo. Thanks for watching, subscribe our channel for authenticity.