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In an extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans on Thursday expelled two Democratic lawmakers from the state Legislature for their role in protests calling for more gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville. A third Democrat was expelled by a one-vote margin.
The split vote drew accusations of racism, with lawmakers expelling Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who are both Black, while Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, survived the vote on her expulsion.
Banishment is a room move that has been used only a few times since Civil War. Most state legislatures have the power to expel members, but it is generally reserved as punishment for lawmakers accused of serious wrongdoing, not used as a weapon against political opponents.
Jones, Pearson and Johnson joined protests last week as hundreds of protesters packed the Capitol to demand gun control measures. As protesters filled the gallery, three Democrats approached the front of the House chamber with bullhorns and joined in the chant.
The protests came days after a shooting at the Covenant School, a private Christian school in which six people, including three children, were killed.
‘This is not normal’
“We’re losing democracy. This is not normal. This is not OK,” Pearson told reporters as he waited to learn whether he, too, would be impeached.
The three “violate House rules because we are fighting for the children who are dying from gun violence and the people in our communities who want to stop the proliferation of guns in our communities.”
Johnson, a retired teacher, said his concerns about school shootings are personal, recalling the day in 2008 when students rushed him out of the cafeteria because a student had been shot and killed there.
“The trauma on that face, you never forget. I don’t want to forget,” he said.
Thousands of people flocked to the Capitol on Thursday to support Democrats, cheering and chanting outside the House chamber so loudly that their voices drowned out the proceedings.
The trio held hands as they walked to the House floor, and Pearson raised his fist to the crowd during the Pledge of Allegiance.
Offered a chance to defend himself before the vote, Jones said Republicans responded to the shooting with a different attack.
“We called on you all to ban assault weapons, and you responded by attacking democracy,” he said.
If expelled, Jones vowed to continue to push for action on guns.
“I will go out with the people every week, demanding that you take action,” he said.
Rep. Republican Gino Bulso said three Democratic representatives “effectively carried out a rebellion.”
“Guys have no remorse,” Bulso said, referring to Jones. “He won’t even admit that what he did was wrong. So if he doesn’t expel him it will only invite him and his friends to join the mutiny on the floor of the House.”
Republican Rep. Sabi Kumar advised Jones to be more collegial and less race-focused.
“You have a lot to offer, but offer it in such a way that people can accept your ideas,” says Kumar.
Jones said he had no intention of assimilating in order to be accepted. “I’m not here to make friends. I’m here to make a change for the community,” he replied.
‘Maybe it has something to do with the color of our skin’
Asked by lawmakers, Johnson warned that he did not raise his voice and did not use a bullhorn like the other two, both of whom are new members of parliament and among the youngest members of the chamber.
But he also suggested that race may have been a factor in why Jones and Pearson were fired but not him, telling reporters that “it might have something to do with the color of our skin.”
That sentiment was echoed by state Sen. London Lamar, a Democrat who represents Memphis.
Lawmakers “kicked out two black men and kept a white woman,” Lamar, a black woman, said via Twitter. “Racism on display today! Wow!”
After sitting quietly for hours and surprising anyone who cried during the proceedings, people in the gallery screamed and booed after the final vote. There was a chant of “Shame!” and “Fascists!”
Lawmakers quickly adjourned for the evening.
Biden blasts Republican ‘priorities’
Outrage over possible expulsions reflects not only the ability of the Republican supermajority to silence opponents, but an increased willingness to do so.
In Washington, US President Joe Biden blasted Republican priorities.
“Three children and three officers were shot dead in another mass shooting. And what is the focus of GOP officials? Punishing lawmakers who join thousands of peaceful protesters demanding action. It’s shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent,” Biden tweeted.
Past voting has been conducted under different circumstances.
In 2019, lawmakers face pressure to oust former Rep. Republican David Byrd after he faced allegations of sexual misconduct when he coached high school basketball three decades earlier. Republicans have denied any action, pointing out that he was re-elected when the allegations surfaced. Byrd retired last year.
Last year, the state Senate expelled Democrat Katrina Robinson after she was accused of using about $3,400 in federal grant money to pay for a wedding instead of nursing school.
Before the case, state lawmakers last removed a member of the House of Representatives in 2016 when the chamber voted 70-2 to remove Rep. Republican Jeremy Durham after an attorney general investigation detailed allegations of inappropriate sexual contact with at least 22 women during his four years in office.
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