WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 07th April, 2023) The Republican-dominated Tennessee legislature expelled Democratic Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson on Thursday for joining protesters demanding gun control reforms following a mass shooting in Nashville.
"What is happening here today is a farce of democracy," Jones said during the 20 minutes allotted to him on Thursday. "What is happening here today is a situation in which the jury has already publicly announced the verdict. What we see today is just a spectacle. What we see today is a lynch mob assembled to not lynch me, but our democratic process."
Jones, Pearson, as well as Rep. Gloria Johnson faced expulsion after being accused of being disorderly and disruptive and flaunting House decorum and floor rules for speaking from the House podium on March 30 without recognition from House Speaker Cameron Sexton. The trio used a bullhorn and began leading gun reform chants of people in the public gallery.
The house voted 65-30 to remove Johnson too, but fell short of the 66 votes needed in the 99-seat chamber.
The Tennessee House has only twice voted to remove members in the modern era.
On March 27, a gunman using an assault rifle killed three nine-year-olds and three adults at a private Christian elementary school in Nashville. Three days later, hundreds and maybe thousands of parents, students, teachers and others from around Tennessee surged to the Capitol demanding that lawmakers pass gun-control legislation.
