Tennessee Republicans are pushing back against Democratic lawmakers who protested for gun control last week in the wake of the deadly Nashville school shooting.
GOP leaders in Tennessee's state House filed resolutions to expel Democratic Representatives Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson for "disorderly behavior" on Monday, according to The Tennesseean.
The trio of lawmakers prompted a House session to pause on Thursday after breaching protocol by speaking out of turn to repeat a chant in support of gun control amid the demonstration. Republican Speaker Cameron Sexton previously stripped the Democrats of their ability to hold committee assignments.
The resolutions to expel, which are not expected to be voted on until Thursday, are "very likely" to be approved due to the balance of power in the chamber being heavy tilted toward Republicans, according to Tennessee Democratic Party Chair Hendrell Remus.
"We anticipate that this is probably going to happen," Remus told Newsweek. "And right now, we're just in the stages of how do we navigate the legality of it after it happens. And then, you know, getting getting either these representatives reelected to their roles, or new Democrats elected to those same seats."
Remus said that Sexton had Johnson "in his sights" on numerous occasions in the past and Republicans were "bothered" by all three lawmakers because they were "outspoken for the right reasons."
Last week, Johnson, Jones and Pearson also took part in the demonstration outside the House chamber, which some Republicans have suggested was an "insurrection." Some have also falsely claimed that the so-called insurrection was orchestrated by the transgender community.
The youth-led protest was intended to advocate for the strengthening of gun laws after three adults and three children were killed in The Covenant School shooting. Police identified shooter Audrey Hale as transgender but have not revealed a potential motive.
Sexton claimed last week that the protest was "at least equivalent" to the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. He said in a series of tweets on Monday that his criticism was "solely directed toward the actions of three Democrat lawmakers who rushed the well and those who led a protest on the House floor with a bullhorn."
The Republican leader went on to say that the Democrats were attempting "to make themselves the victims" and get arrested during the demonstration, after choosing to "break several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor."
My comments on Thursday were not directed toward the peaceful protestors; they were solely directed toward the actions of three Democrat lawmakers who rushed the well and those who led a protest on the House floor with a bullhorn.
— Speaker Cameron Sexton (@CSexton25) April 3, 2023
Remus said that Sexton was targeting the Democratic representatives and framing the demonstration as an "insurrection" in an attempt to distract from the issue of gun control and "wait out this moment" following The Covenant School shooting.
Remus said that expelling the Democrats would be "unprecedented" and would "really signal how far the Republican supermajority in this state is willing to go to silence those who show opposition against their positions and their ideology."
In addition to losing their ability to hold committee assignments, Republican leadership also revoked ID badges for Johnson, Jones and Pearson, restricting their access to the legislature.
Some Republicans appear to be behaving as though the lawmakers have been been expelled, with GOP Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison reportedly referring to Jones as the "former representative" on Monday.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
