Tennessee GOP Lawmakers Move to Expel Democrats Who Joined Protest Inside State Capitol

Tennessee Republican lawmakers have proposed a resolution that requests the removal of three Democrat representatives. This call comes after the representatives led protest chants through a bullhorn on the House floor on March 30.

The resolution alleges that state Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville, Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, and Justin Pearson of Memphis participated in “disorderly behavior.” Furthermore, they “knowingly and intentionally” “brought disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”

The resolution was presented by Republican Reps. Bud Hulsey, Gino Bulso, and Andrew Farmer. The resolution expedites the process, and the vote will occur on Thursday.

Two of the three Democratic representatives lost their committee assignments on Monday over their actions. The proposition of this resolution led to an outburst of anger from protesters in the gallery. This prompted House Speaker Cameron Sexton to request state troopers to remove them.

Meanwhile, on the House floor, several lawmakers had an altercation. Jones has accused a member of stealing his phone and trying to “incite a riot with his fellow members”. Therefore, Sexton ruled Jones as out of order and switched off his microphone.

Sexton stated that the Democrats’ actions were “unacceptable” and “took away the voices of the protesters.” He added that those actions resulted in taking away the concentration from the six victims and their families who lost their loved ones. “We have always welcomed peaceful protestors to the capitol to have their voices heard on any issue,” Sexton wrote on Twitter.

Breach of Chamber Rules

During the previous week, hundreds of demonstrators chanted slogans that filled the state Capitol and its gallery. The three Democratic politicians, however, disregarded the rules, moved to the front of the House chamber with a bullhorn, and cheered on the protesters in the gallery while leading chants. This behavior marked a breach of chamber rules as they hadn’t been recognized to speak.

The demonstrators were asking for stricter control over gun rights in the wake of the Covenant School shooting in Nashville. The police reported that Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, who identified as transgender, fired shots at the school, causing the death of three 9-year-old children and three adults.

The breach of the Democratic lawmakers has been defended by Democratic lawmakers. They defended their actions, with House Minority Leader Karen Camper referring to them as “good trouble.” This is a reference to the late Rep. John Lewis’s guiding principle.

Pearson admitted in a letter addressed to other lawmakers on Tuesday that he “did not follow decorum.” He adds that he takes “full responsibility and accountability” for his actions. “My walk to the House floor in a peaceful a