NEW: More than 250 legislators across the U.S. are condemning the proposed expulsion of three Democratic legislators in Tennessee for protesting gun violence on the state House floor.
Johnson, Jones and Pearson used a bullhorn, without being recognized to speak, in violation of rules for the House chamber. House leaders called their actions “an insurrection.”with the introduction of three resolutions. Over the yells of protesters who’d again filled the chamber, each proposaleither of the state’s legislative chambers to expel a member with support from two-thirds of members in that chamber.John Amis / AFP - Getty Imagesincluded a physical altercation between Jones and GOP Rep.
“Calling for gun safety within the people’s house exemplifies our democracy in action. Expelling lawmakers is not,” they wrote.Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones enters the House chamber in Nashville on Monday ahead of the session as protesters demand action for gun reform laws.“The attempts to expel Reps. Jones, Johnson, and Pearson show a dark truth in the light of day: there’s a robust and racist connection between fighting against gun safety and dismantling our democracy,” the letter says.
Neha Patel, a co-executive director of the State Innovation Exchange, said the rarity of such expulsion attempts in Tennessee further bolsters the accusations of racism. “That this is so rare, we believe, speaks to the fact that race is at play,” she said in an interview. “By raising awareness to this in Tennessee, our hope is that this rarity doesn’t become more common in other legislatures around the country.”
The Tennessee House last voted to expel a sitting member in 2016, when members voted 70-2 to throw out Rep. Jeremy Durham over sexual misconduct allegations.
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Tennessee House moves to expel 3 Democrats after gun protestResolutions were filed Monday against Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson.
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Tennessee House moves to expel 3 Democrats after gun protestTennessee Republican lawmakers have taken the first steps to expel three Democratic members from the GOP-dominant House for their role in a recent gun control protest at the state Capitol. Resoluti…
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