Tennessee GOP Moves To Expel 3 Dems Who Joined Protesters During State Capitol Storming

Three Democratic state representatives from the House are facing expulsion after joining protesters and storming the Tennessee state capitol building in Nashville, leading chants with a bullhorn and disrupting the floor session. Expulsion resolutions have been filed against Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), and Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis), and a final vote on whether to remove the Democrats will take place on Thursday.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) kicked the three Democrats off their committees and warned of more accountability. Sexton stated that their actions deserved to be disciplined, and what they did was a breach of House rules. He added that he had not seen such behavior before. During a protest against gun rights last Thursday, the three Democratic lawmakers led protesters in chants while standing at “the well” where lawmakers speak on the House floor.

Republican House Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) described the disruption as unprecedented, dangerous, inappropriate, and condemned the silencing of the other 96 members. The lawmakers allegedly wanted to be arrested and wanted attention for themselves. Furthermore, their actions were planned and intentional, according to Sexton.

Resolutions against Jones, Johnson, and Pearson were filed for disrupting House proceedings and breaking House rules, with Republicans believed to have the votes to expel them. The tensions at the Capitol increased as Tennessee reels from the murder of six people at a Christian school in Nashville last week by a woman who identified as transgender. In response, Gov. Bill Lee proposed providing funding for schools in Tennessee to have armed guards and reiterated support for a bill that would increase security measures at schools across the state.

Lamberth expressed confidence that the school security reforms would be passed and warned that any “evil person” targeting children in Tennessee would be met with sufficient security to end their lives.

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