Tennessee House of Representatives Expels Two Democratic Representatives in Response to Gun Protest, Sparking National Debate on Gun Control

On Thursday, the Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic representatives, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both young Black men from Nashville and Memphis, respectively. The vote was part of a Republican-led attempt to oust the trio who participated in a peaceful gun protest from the floor of the chamber last week.

The protest was in response to the Nashville school shooting that left six people — three children and three school personnel — dead. The three lawmakers joined protesters on the House floor March 30 in calling for stronger gun control.

However, Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, an older white woman, managed to survive the expulsion attempt. President Joe Biden released a statement condemning the decision, saying, “Today’s expulsion of lawmakers who engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent. Rather than debating the merits of the issue, these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence, and expel duly-elected representatives of the people of Tennessee.”

The expulsion of the two lawmakers has been met with criticism from both sides of the aisle. Many have argued that the decision to expel the two representatives was a violation of their right to free speech and a sign of the Republican party’s unwillingness to engage in a meaningful dialogue on gun control.

The decision to expel the two representatives has sparked a national debate on the issue of gun control and the power of the Republican party to silence dissenting voices. It remains to be seen how the Tennessee House of Representatives will respond to the criticism and whether or not the two representatives will be reinstated.