If the standard for getting rid of an elected representative is “knowingly and intentionally bring(ing) disorder and dishonor to the” body to which they’ve been elected, America should soon be losing about 93.8% of those who currently hold office. But seriously, folks, that’s the charge being leveled against three Tennessee Democrats who used a bullhorn to lead anti-gun protesters in the House gallery in chants of “FASCISTS” and other bons mots last week after the New Covenant School shooting.
As a result, Republicans who control the House have started the process to expel the three gun control cheerleaders from office.
As the AP reports . . .
The extraordinarily rare move resulted in a chaotic and fiery confrontation between lawmakers and supporters opposing the move and has further fractured an already deep political division inside the Tennessee Legislature.
Resolutions have been filed against Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson after they led chants from the House floor with supporters in the gallery last Thursday. The resolution declared that the three had participated in “disorderly behavior” and “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”
There’s that phrase again. Rep. Jones captured his handiwork for posterity.
Tonight as Tennessee House Republicans push forward to schedule vote on our expulsion, Speaker Sexton orders the gallery cleared as crowd chants “fascists.”
Media forced out at as well.
Then, Rep. Lafferty (R-Knox) pushes me and grabs my phone.
This is a sad day for Tennessee. pic.twitter.com/Lh08Ma5kdS
— Rep. Justin Jones (@brotherjones_) April 4, 2023
Jones brought the bullhorn to the lectern that the three Dems shared to get the gun-haters in the gallery going. Now, Republicans are moving to put them out of their jobs.
Republican Reps. Bud Hulsey, Gino Bulso, and Andrew Farmer filed the resolutions [to expel the three]. They successfully requested Monday that the House expedite the process and vote on the resolutions Thursday.
This is the scene of the melee on the Tennessee House floor that followed that incident. (Video provided to me by a source, permission not granted for other media to use.) 2/ pic.twitter.com/thV7wxtogM
— Phil Williams (@NC5PhilWilliams) April 4, 2023
The GOP doesn’t appear to be backing down.
By Monday, Sexton confirmed that the three lawmakers had been stripped of their committee assignments and said more punishments could be on the way. A few hours later, House Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison referred to Jones as the “former representative” during the evening session.
Jones, in his relatively short time as a state representative, is no stranger to less-than-collegial legislative behavior.
Pearson and Jones are both freshman lawmakers. Johnson has served in the House since 2019. All three have been highly critical of the Republican supermajority. Jones was temporarily banned from the Tennessee Capitol in 2019 after throwing a cup of liquid at former House Speaker Glen Casada and other lawmakers while protesting the bust of Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest inside the Capitol.
Stay tuned. This should at least be entertaining to watch.
