On Monday, the Nashville Metropolitan Counsel voted 36–0 to reinstall Democratic representative Justin Jones after he was expelled from the Tennessee House for leading a rowdy gun-control protest following the mass shooting at Covenant School. Jones was sworn in on the Capitol’s steps as a large crowd watched.
The move comes just four days after the lower chamber acted to remove him. Jones was one of three representatives who disrupted house proceedings with a bullhorn and encouraged a crowd in the balcony that was chanting “Fascists! Fascists!” among other things. Representative Justin Pearson was also expelled, while Representative Gloria Johnson evaded the same fate by one vote.
“Today we’re sending a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence,” Jones said to the crowd on Monday, after marching to the Capitol from City Hall with demonstrators. Jones also called for the house speaker to resign.
Local legislative bodies in Tennessee are allowed to appoint an interim successor to fill the seat of a house member who has been expelled. The appointee may hold that seat until an election is held. However, Nashville’s move could exacerbate tensions between the city and House Republicans.
In an interview with National Review last week, house speaker Cameron Sexton explained that the actions of the three representatives merited expulsion.
“What they did is they hijacked the house floor, which has never been done in our history,” said Sexton. “They pulled out a bullhorn. They weren’t recognized. They were ruled out of order, and they led a protest from the house floor with a bullhorn to those in the balcony. They shut down the proceedings of the house. We had to go into recess due to their actions.”
“They disregarded the sergeant at arms asking them to leave the well at multiple occasions, and they really didn’t stop yelling in their bullhorn until I had to clear out the balcony because of behavior that was caused blatantly by those three members,” he said.
Prior to the expulsion votes, Sexton stripped the trio of their committee assignments. He also reasoned that even they knew they had done something wrong.
“When they came off the house floor, they asked their caucus if they were going to be arrested,” Sexton said. “When you ask someone if you’re going to be arrested, then you know that you’ve done something very wrong.”
Pearson’s vacant seat will be addressed during a special meeting of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners in Memphis on Wednesday.
On CNN, Pearson was asked if he’d break the rules of decorum again if he is reinstated, replying: “Sometimes rules have to be broken for people who have been pushed to the periphery to be brought to the center of the conversation.”
Sexton countered the framing that Tennessee Republicans were silencing the three representatives.
“They speak on bills more than anybody. They speak in committees more than anybody. They’ve had the same opportunities and they’re held to the same rules and standards as all other members in the house body,” Sexton explained.
Since the next general election is more than twelve months away, the Tennessee Constitution requires that a special election be held to fill the seats. The state code calls for a primary election within 55 to 60 days to permanently fill the seat, CNN reported. A general election to fill the vacancy must be scheduled within 100 to 107 days.