Tennessee Republicans took the first steps Monday to expel three Democratic members of the GOP-dominated House for their involvement in a recent gun control protest at the state Capitol.
The extremely rare move sparked a chaotic and fiery confrontation between lawmakers and opponents of the move, further fracturing an already deep political schism within the Tennessee Legislature.
Resolutions were filed against Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson last Thursday after they led chants from the House floor with supporters in the gallery.
According to the resolution, the three had engaged in “disorderly behavior” and “knowingly and intentionally brought disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”
The resolutions were introduced by Republican Reps. Bud Hulsey, Gino Bulso, and Andrew Farmer.
They successfully petitioned the House on Monday to expedite the process and hold a vote on the resolutions on Thursday.
Despite Republican supermajority support, their requests sparked outrage among supporters in the gallery.
Their raucous jeers prompted House Speaker Cameron Sexton to demand that state troopers remove them.
Several lawmakers also got into a fight on the House floor during the turmoil. Jones later accused another member of stealing his phone and attempting to “incite a riot among his peers.”
Sexton ruled Jones out of order and disconnected Jones’ microphone.
Hundreds of protesters packed the Capitol last week, demanding that the Republican-led Statehouse pass gun control legislation in response to the Nashville school shooting, which killed six people. Jones, Johnson, and Pearson approached the front of the House chamber with a bullhorn as the chants echoed throughout the Capitol.
Sexton, a Republican, quickly called a recess as the three shared the bullhorn and cheered on the crowd. He later threatened the three with repercussions. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Karen Camper called their actions “good trouble,” referring to the guiding principle of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis.
By Monday, Sexton had confirmed that the three lawmakers’ committee assignments had been revoked, and he hinted that more punishments were on the way.
During the evening session, House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison referred to Jones as the “former representative.”
Pearson and Jones are both new members of Congress. Johnson has been a member of the House since 2019. All three have been outspoken critics of the Republican majority.
Jones was temporarily barred from entering the Tennessee Capitol in 2019 after hurling a cup of liquid at former House Speaker Glen Casada and other lawmakers during a protest against a bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest inside the building.
Expelling legislators is a rare occurrence inside the Tennessee Capitol. Since the Civil War, only two other House members have been removed from the chamber.