Three Democratic state lawmakers are facing expulsion from the Tennessee House this week after participating in a massive gun reform protest at the state Capitol last week, with House Republicans condemning their “disorderly behavior.”
Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), and Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) took to the podium on the House floor without being recognized to speak during Thursday morning’s session, according to the Nashville Tennessean. As protesters—a fraction of the hundreds who’d gathered outside for the “Protect Our Kids” rally—filled the balcony, the trio led the crowd in chanting for gun reform.
Johnson, Pearson, and Jones were admonished by House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) after he called for a 30-minute recess. House Minority Leader Karen Camper chastised Pearson and Jones, who’d carried a megaphone with him to the podium, for the disruption. She later reversed course, tweeting that the incident had been “#GoodTrouble.”
No arrests were made on the day, nor was any damage done to the Capitol, according to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. The protest was organized in the aftermath of a Nashville school shooting that left six people dead, including three 9-year-old children.
House Republican leaders declined to immediately reprimand the three Democrats, but have since introduced resolutions to expel the three Democrats from the chamber, according to The Tennessean.
State Rep. Sam Whitson, a Republican, was quick to characterize the incident as a “stunt,” calling for the House Democratic Caucus to dole out punishments. He stopped short of calling for their expulsion, however.
“I believe expulsion will make them martyrs and they will be re-elected or reappointed immediately, so I think the Democratic leadership and caucus should be held responsible for this incident, and if not then we will hold the Democratic Caucus responsible for tolerating such conduct,” he said, according to the Tennessee Lookout.
In an interview with a local radio station after the protest, Sexton likened the incident to an “insurrection.” His office clarified over the weekend that his remark had been directed at Jones, Johnson, and Pearson, not the protesters.
“Their actions are and will always be unacceptable, and they break several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor,” Sexton tweeted in explanation. “Their actions and beliefs that they could be arrested on the House floor were an effort, unfortunately, to make themselves the victims.”
Earlier on Monday, it was reported that the three lawmakers had had their identification badges deactivated, restricting their access to the Tennessee Legislature and the members’ parking garage. All three still had access to their own offices and legislative staff on Monday night.
“No one told me that my garage pass was cut off. No one told me that my badge to the building was cut off,” Johnson told the Tennessean, adding that she’d been unable to retrieve her mobility scooter over the weekend.
Johnson and Jones were also stripped of their committee assignments, a retributive move first reported on Monday by Knox News. (Pearson was just seated and did not yet serve on any committees.)
Hours later, House Republicans filed resolutions to expel the trio, claiming they “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.” The resolutions were introduced during a chaotic evening session in the House, with cell phone footage shot by Jones showing protesters in the balcony screaming, “Fascists!”
A vote was not immediately held on the matter, but the GOP holds a supermajority in the Tennessee Legislature, and is expected to be able to push the motions through.
Standing outside the chamber minutes before, Jones had told the Tennessean that a bipartisan expulsion vote would be “unprecedented.”
Only two sitting members have been expelled from the Tennessee House since the Civil War, most recently in 2016, when former Rep. Jeremy Durham (R-Franklin) was pushed out 70-2 after it was found he’d sexually harassed nearly two dozen women during his time in office.
