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The highly unusual move marked the third time since the Civil War that a House member was expelled in Tennessee. Jeremy Durham, a Republican, was removed from the House over allegations of sexual misconduct with at least 22 women. Robert Fisher, also a Republican, was expelled after being convicted of soliciting a bribe in exchange for attempting to block pending legislation. Political tensions rose when Pearson, Johnson and Jones, from the House floor, joined with hundreds of demonstrators who packed the Capitol to call for passage of gun control measures.
GOP wields supermajority power
Not even a minute amount,” Eddie Mannis, a former Republican member of the Tennessee state House, said in an interview. Jones said on CNN that Republicans are using authoritarian methods to silence the opposition. "It's very concerning and it represents a clear and present danger to democracy all across this nation," Jones said.
Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, Justin Pearson to get 20 minutes each to defend themselves
They used a bullhorn on the House floor, speaking without being recognized and leading protests calling for gun restrictions as Republicans, who hold a supermajority in the chamber, stood by. Many of the Covenant families had met with Lee and lawmakers hoping to persuade them to drop the idea of arming teachers. In the final days of the legislative session, Covenant families said they had collected nearly 4,300 signatures from Tennesseans against having public school staffers carry weapons on school grounds.
Tennessee three: What you need to know about the expulsion of Democratic TN lawmakers
Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, rose to mention that Covenant head of school Katherine Koonce was laid to rest this week. Freeman said Koonce's husband said some "remarkable words" at her funeral, including what her husband believed would be Koonce's wishes of generosity and forgiveness in the wake of the tragedy. Cohen wrote that expelling the representatives will disenfranchise their constituents. Companion legislation is up in the Senate Finance Committee next week, and a separate proposal for the state to fund SROs, agents and other safety measures is included in the Governor’s budget amendment which both chambers are still considering. People added to the noise by blowing whistles, chanting, beating drums, stomping feet and chanting. Rep. Johnny Garrett, R-Goodlettsville, proposed that House rules be suspended to show a 7-minute video, compiled from publicly posted clips, of events that occurred last Thursday.
Tennessee House of Representatives
The governor’s office did not respond to a request for comment about Lee’s plans for the bill. House GOP Caucus Chair Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, told The Tennessean he had "just found out about" the ethics finding on Thursday morning and would need to review the details before passing judgment. The memo was first reported by NewsChannel5, which reported at least one legislative intern complained of alleged sexually harassing communications from Campbell. Initially, there were no public repercussions for Campbell, the Republican Caucus vice chair, in the three weeks since the subcommittee issued their findings.
For some, the partisan expulsions are a stark reminder of the supermajority power Republicans have amassed over the state's Democratic, urban areas. Lawmakers considered the fate of the three Democrats steps away from hundreds of protesters whose chants permeated the House doors, while more than 200 people stood in silence in the House galleries. Protesters continued to call on Republican lawmakers to pass gun reform and slammed the efforts to expel the lawmakers, who have been dubbed the "Tennessee three." Still, the expulsions have elevated the two lawmakers’ political profiles, with little long-term gains for Republican leadership as Pearson and Jones could be reappointed to their seats within days or weeks. Controversy has surrounded the vote by Tennessee lawmakers to expel two members from the state legislature after they and a third member — all Democrats — took part in a protest against gun violence from the floor of the chamber. "We're also in a moment right now with those in power in the Republican Party don't want to be held accountable," Zephyr told ABC News.
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Biden Puts GOP On Blast Over Expulsion Of Tennessee Democrats
Robert Fisher, a Republican, was expelled after he was found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office, according to the attorney general. At least 27 members of Nashville’s 40-seat Metro Council said they plan to reappoint Jones and send him back to the Tennessee House of Representatives. Those members would give him the simple majority he would need to reclaim his seat. In this move, Republicans removed two of the youngest Black lawmakers from the General Assembly, further reducing an already small minority caucus. Here's what happened to lead up to the expulsions from the House, what the expulsion means and what could come next.
President Joe Biden slams expulsion vote
'An abomination:' TN House expels two Dems over gun protest, despite removal looking temporary • Tennessee Lookout - Tennessee Lookout
'An abomination:' TN House expels two Dems over gun protest, despite removal looking temporary • Tennessee Lookout.
Posted: Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
The Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel Pearson, 69–26.[30] HR 63, the resolution to remove Pearson, was sponsored by Andrew Farmer.[35] Charlie Baum, Bryan Richey, and John Gillespie were the three Republicans to vote against the resolution. Walking arm-in-arm with a crowd of what he described as thousands of people, Rep. Justin Jones walked back to the Tennessee state capital after the Nashville Metropolitan Council voted unanimously to reappoint him to the state House. State Rep. Justin Jones was sworn back into his House District 52 seat as an interim representative Monday. A third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson, a White woman and Democrat who also participated in the demonstration, survived the vote and held on to her seat in the GOP-dominated chamber.
"Rather than debating the merits of the issue, these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence, and expel duly elected representatives of the people of Tennessee." Jones and Pearson led chants through a bullhorn as legislators instituted a recess. Video filmed by a Republican on the house floor during the event — also a violation of the legislature's rules, Democrats contended on Thursday — showed the three speaking on the floor as demonstrators could be heard in the background.
Jones also noted the rare instances in which the House or Senate have taken such a drastic measure against a sitting, elected representative. Jones was the first of the three to address the chamber, offering an explanation for his actions on the well of the floor on March 30. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, center, Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, back left and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, huddle on the floor of the House chamber Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Following the failed vote, Johnson was asked by reporters if she thought there was a reason she'd had a different outcome.
Johnson added that she believed Jones and Pearson had been treated differently than she ahead of the votes. “Yes indeed, happy resurrection day,” Pearson said as he signed paperwork for his return. He also voted against expelling Democrats Rep. Gloria Johnson and former Rep. Justin Pearson.
Tennessee's House expels 2 of 3 Democrats over guns protest - The Associated Press
Tennessee's House expels 2 of 3 Democrats over guns protest.
Posted: Fri, 07 Apr 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
"Specifically, the expulsion sanction was used because the representatives refused to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment (a condition necessary for Tennessee's readmission to the Union)," Russell said. By expelling the members, the chamber could meet its majority threshold more easily. This is the first time multiple Tennessee legislators have been ousted in a single legislative session since 1866, when Tennessee was struggling to adopt citizenship rights for formerly enslaved people after the Civil War. It's rare for any legislative body in the U.S. to expel a member — most states have reportedly never done so. Even in that context, the circumstances in Tennessee — where the Republican-led House expelled two Black lawmakers — stand out.
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