‘Tennessee Three’: Rep. Justin Jones expelled from TN House
Justin Jones #JustinJones
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Tennessee House of Representatives has voted to expel Rep. Justin Jones (D—Nashville), the first of three Democratic lawmakers facing expulsion on Thursday.
The vote to expel Reps. Gloria Johnson (D—Knoxville), Justin Jones (D—Nashville), and Justin J. Pearson (D—Memphis), now known as the “Tennessee Three,” comes after the trio broke several House decorum rules during a gun control protest last week.
The protests came in reaction to the mass shooting at The Covenant School that saw six people, including three 9-year-old children, killed.
“The people are still demanding action for common sense gun laws, that a week after a mass shooting, the immediate response of my colleagues was not to pass an assault weapons ban or red flag laws, but its to expel their colleague who is demanding that we act, and whether I’m a member on the inside, or a community member on the outside, I will continue to stand with the people because this is not the end,” Jones told News 2’s Chris O’Brien after the vote.
Jones represents a large part of Nashville. The 27-year-old took office this past January.
Several members of the Metro City Council say they will vote to reappoint Jones as soon as the council meets again, including Bob Mendes and Freddie O’Connell, who tweeted that the expulsion “is an affront both to lives lost and the will of the voters.”
The Metro Council will have a special meeting on Monday, April 10 to discuss filling the now vacant District 52 seat.
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