NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Rep. Justin Jones was expelled from the Tennessee legislature on Thursday afternoon.
This comes from a 72-25 vote, nearly on party lines.
Expulsion measures come from a moment on the House floor last Thursday, when Jones, Justin Pearson, D-Memphis and Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, interrupted the regular-scheduled proceedings. Though lawmakers quarreled among themselves that the interruption was during recess versus the actual proceedings.
"We are in this together, the three of us," Jones said after his expulsion. "The Tennessee Three — we stand together, as part of the balcony to go support them. I can't be on the House floor right now, going to go to the gallery and stay for the hearing because we are in this together. It's so important we are multi-racial and multi-generational. We represent Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville. We stand united. Pay attention to what's happening. What they did was signal that."
No damage was done to the Tennessee capitol nor were there any arrests made on the day that Jones, Pearson and Johnson led the crowd from the House floor in the middle of the session with chants. Rep. Jones had a bullhorn. On that day, hundreds arrived at the capitol to try to talk to lawmakers about gun legislation in light of The Covenant School shooting. In the mass shooting, six people — including three 9-year-olds — died at the hand of a 28-year-old Nashvillian.
On the day in question, those Democrats stopped after they were admonished by members of their own party, and later by the Speaker of the House after a 30-minute recess. Rep. Jones and Rep. Pearson were not formally reprimanded on the floor Thursday. Johnson stood with the two.
Jones said he wasn't standing for himself but his constituents.
"I was standing for those young people — many of whom who can't vote yet, but they are terrified about the trend of mass shootings," Jones said. "That is why I walked up to the well. We brought a megaphone because you cut their representatives off from the microphone. There is a time when people get tired of being sick and tired. My colleagues — what we did was act in our responsibility as legislators."
Jones said he was shocked that House Speaker Cameron Sexton that what happened was an insurrection. For reference, Sexton couldn't provide Sexton any evidence to NewsChannel 5 Investigates that an "insurrection" happened. No one was arrested, hurt or accused of destruction.
"We broke the glass of your false power for the world to see," Jones said. "This is a place to wrestle for democracy."
