Tennessee lawmaker reappointed after expulsion

Name: WORLD
Price range: $

State Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, delivers remarks outside the state Capitol Monday. He was reinstated after Nashville’s governing council voted to send him back to the legislature. Associated Press/Photo by George Walker IV

Tennessee lawmaker reappointed after expulsion

The Nashville Metro Council unanimously voted Monday to reinstate expelled Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, to his seat in the Tennessee House. The Republican-controlled House had ousted Jones for his participation in a protest for stricter gun control on the House floor. Jones and two other lawmakers had used a bullhorn to lead chants with observers in the gallery.

What’s happening to the other two lawmakers? Expelled Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, could be voted back into his seat on Wednesday when the Shelby County Commission convenes to vote on the question. The House fell one vote short of the number of votes needed to oust Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, the third lawmaker involved in the protest.

Dig deeper: Read Andrew T. Walker’s column in WORLD Opinions about how Nashville police bravely fulfilled their responsibility during the city’s recent school shooting.