Tennessee House GOP expels 2 Democrats in retaliation over gun control protest.

In response to a mass shooting that devastated a Nashville school, protesters gathered at the state Capitol to demand gun reform measures. The following day, two Democratic members of the Tennessee House of Representatives, Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were expelled by Republican lawmakers. Their expulsion was in response to their leadership of gun control demonstrations on the chamber floor the previous week.

Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is White, was not expelled and criticized the votes to remove Jones and Pearson as racist, pointing out that she is a 60-year-old White woman, while they are young Black men. Pearson publicly shared a letter he sent to House members in which he said he took accountability for “not following decorum” on the House floor but defended his actions, saying he wanted to listen and respond to the voices of Tennesseans who were not given the opportunity to speak in meaningful dialogue with them.

The expulsions have been decried as oppressive, vindictive, and racially motivated by the ousted representatives and their supporters. They argue that voters in Jones’s and Pearson’s districts have been disenfranchised and warn that the move sets a dangerous new precedent for political retribution. President Joe Biden also condemned the expulsions, calling them “shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.”

The expulsions of Jones and Pearson have sparked outrage among Democrats, civil liberties groups, and supporters of gun control measures. They argue that the move sets a dangerous precedent for political retribution and threatens the fabric of democracy in the state.

The Tennessee House of Representatives had only expelled two other representatives since Reconstruction, and the move requires a two-thirds majority vote of the total membership. The House Republicans, who hold a supermajority, were able to secure the necessary votes to expel the two Democratic representatives.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton called their actions “unacceptable” and argued that they broke “several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor.” However, critics argue that the move was politically motivated and intended to silence dissenting voices on the issue of gun control.

Jones and Pearson have vowed to continue to fight for their constituents and advocate for gun reform measures. They have called for protesters to return to the Capitol when the House is back in session on Monday.

The fallout from the expulsions is likely to continue in the coming days and weeks, as Democrats and civil liberties groups continue to denounce the move and call for greater action on gun reform measures.

In response to the expulsions, protesters packed the state Capitol to denounce the move and advocate for gun reform measures, just over a week after a mass shooting devastated a Nashville school. The protesters, many of whom were supporters of Jones and Pearson, criticized the House Republicans for their actions and called for greater action on gun control.

The two expelled representatives have also received support from President Joe Biden, who issued a statement calling the expulsions “shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent.” Biden criticized the Republicans for not taking greater action on gun reform and argued that the move distracts from the real problem of gun violence.

The chair of the Tennessee Democratic Party, Hendrell Remus, called the move a “direct political attack” on the party and argued that it sets a dangerous precedent for political retribution. He also expressed concern that other GOP-controlled state legislatures across the nation may follow suit.

Despite the controversy, House Republicans have defended their decision, arguing that the two Democratic representatives violated rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor. Some Republicans have also criticized the Democrats for using the chamber floor to stage a protest rather than engaging in meaningful dialogue on the issue of gun control.

The fallout from the expulsions is likely to continue in the coming days and weeks, as Democrats, civil liberties groups, and gun control advocates continue to denounce the move and call for greater action on gun reform measures.