Image: Justin Pearson addresses the Shelby County Commission. Image Credit: shelbycountytn.gov
By Adam Friedman [Tennessee Lookout -CC BY-NC-ND 4.0] –
The Shelby County Commission voted unanimously to reappoint Justin Pearson to the state House seat Republicans expelled him from six days ago.
House Republicans kicked out Pearson, D-Memphis, and Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, for violating the chamber’s rules on decorum when the two men took over the chamber’s speaking podium to protest a lack of action by lawmakers on gun violence. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, joined the duo in the floor protests, but Republicans fell one vote short of expelling her.
The floor protests followed a mass shooting in Nashville where three adults and three children were killed at Nashville private school on March 27.
Republicans chose to expel Pearson and Jones because they used a megaphone to lead chants with a crowd gathered in the House gallery.
The floor protests forced the House into a 40-minute recess.
The floor protests occurred on March 30, and House Republicans held expulsion hearings one week later on April 6.
Pearson’s reappoint comes days after the Metro Nashville Council reappointed Jones to his seat. Only seven of the Shelby County Commission’s 13 members were present for Wednesday’s special-called meeting.
Pearson should be able to attend Thursday’s House floor session in Nashville.
Republican leaders said they would welcome back Pearson and Jones but emphasized they had to follow the House rules.
Pearson and Jones must run in separate special elections later this year to regain their seats. It will be Pearson’s second election in less than a year. In a special election earlier this year, he won his current Memphis district seat, which was previously held by the now-deceased Barbara Cooper.
3 Responses
The GOP Legislators are professional politicians. They must have known this would be considered racist, even if they didn’t mean it that way. Can someone explain the politics to me? Looks like the world now considers us racist. Is that a gain?
Got a bunch of DUMB Republicans in Crashville.
It is no wonder the GOP has trouble gaining ground. They WON”T stand together and FIGHT in the dirt with Democrat’s. All three of these should not be allowed in Nashville public office again. Sad day for TN.