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| Tennessee statehouse expels Democrat for gun control protest | Tennessee statehouse expels Democrat for gun control protest |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Embattled Tennessee Democratic state representatives Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones joined hands as they entered the House chamber on Thursday | Embattled Tennessee Democratic state representatives Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones joined hands as they entered the House chamber on Thursday |
| A Democratic legislator has been expelled from the Tennessee statehouse for joining a gun control protest that brought legislative proceedings to a halt there last week. | A Democratic legislator has been expelled from the Tennessee statehouse for joining a gun control protest that brought legislative proceedings to a halt there last week. |
| The House of Representatives voted 72-25 to expel Justin Jones, 27, who led demonstrators in chants from the floor. | The House of Representatives voted 72-25 to expel Justin Jones, 27, who led demonstrators in chants from the floor. |
| He was joined by two other Democratic lawmakers, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, who also face expulsion. | He was joined by two other Democratic lawmakers, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, who also face expulsion. |
| Hundreds of protesters have flooded the State Capitol since a school shooting. | Hundreds of protesters have flooded the State Capitol since a school shooting. |
| The 27 March attack at Nashville's Covenant School killed six, including three children. | The 27 March attack at Nashville's Covenant School killed six, including three children. |
| Mr Jones' removal by the Republican-dominated body marks the first such expulsion without the support of both parties from the General Assembly in Tennessee's modern history. | |
| Thursday's vote followed a fractious day in the House. Lawmakers had argued for hours over the expulsion resolution. Audible within the chamber were the shouts of protesters who still crowd the statehouse. | |
| Speaking on the House floor, former Representative Jones, who entered the chamber holding hands with Mr Pearson and Ms Johnson, called the expulsion vote a "farce of democracy". | |
| The measure was a "violation", he said. "It is an attempt to silence and undo the will of over 200,000 Tennesseans whom the three of us represent." | The measure was a "violation", he said. "It is an attempt to silence and undo the will of over 200,000 Tennesseans whom the three of us represent." |
| Mr Jones and his two colleagues took to the House floor last Thursday, chanting "No action, no peace" and bringing the chamber's proceedings to a standstill for nearly an hour. | |
| The three lawmakers acknowledged they broke House rules by speaking without being formally recognised, but insisted their actions did not warrant expulsion. | |
| In a resolution, Republicans said the trio had brought "disorder and dishonour to the House". And on Thursday, some Republican members said the Democrats' actions amounted to an insurrection, with House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, comparing the incident to the Capitol Riots. | |
| Nashville police saw 'terrible things' at shooting | |
| Nashville police saw 'terrible things' at shooting | |
| "What they did today was equivalent, at least equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, to doing an insurrection in the State Capitol," he said. | "What they did today was equivalent, at least equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, to doing an insurrection in the State Capitol," he said. |
| Expulsion votes are exceptionally rare. In Tennessee, the House of Representatives has only twice voted to expel members - in 1980 against a sitting lawmaker who was convicted of soliciting a bribe; another to remove a majority whip who was facing allegations of sexual misconduct in 2016. | |
| But those expulsions had strong support from both parties. | |
| Before Thursday's expulsion votes began, House members debated more than 20 bills, some relating to school safety. | |
| Throughout the discussion, Mr Jones rose to speak several times, accusing his colleagues of passing "band-aid" legislation in response to mass shootings. | |
| "It is not action that will make our students safe," Mr Jones said. "I think we, as elected officials, have a moral responsibility to listen to these young people who are on the frontlines who are terrified, who are here, crying and pleading for their lives." | |
| In response, Republican Mark White - visibly aggravated - told Mr Jones: "Look at me. Look at the other 97 [lawmakers]. This is exactly what we're trying to do."Mr White continued: "I have been up here for 14 years, you have been in this assembly for two months, three months." | |
| Tennessee has some of the most relaxed gun control laws in the country. In 2021, the state passed a measure that allows residents over the age of 21 to carry handguns - concealed and unconcealed - without a permit. Lawmakers and gun rights groups are now working to lower that age to 18.There is no system of universal background checks and no "red flag" laws, which are designed to allow authorities to temporarily seize legally owned guns from those found to be a danger to themselves or others. | |
| Police said the Nashville shooter, who opened fire last week at the privately run Christian school, had legally purchased seven firearms on separate occasions. | |
| Three of the weapons were used to kill three nine-year-old children and three members of the school staff. | |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Republican Party | Republican Party |
| Democratic Party | Democratic Party |
| Tennessee | Tennessee |
| United States | United States |