Key takeaways:
- The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reappoint Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House of Representatives.
- Pearson and fellow Democrat Justin Jones were expelled from the legislature after participating in a protest against gun violence.
- The decision to reappoint Pearson and Jones is a victory for those who believe in the power of democracy and the importance of gun reform.
On Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to reappoint Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House of Representatives, less than a week after the legislature voted to expel him and another Black Democratic lawmaker for participating in a protest against gun violence.
The expulsion of Pearson and fellow Democrat Justin Jones came after the two participated in a demonstration on the chamber floor in response to the mass shooting last month at a Nashville Christian school that left six people dead.
Following the vote to reappoint Pearson, he and Jones stood on the steps of the Capitol to address the crowd. Jones said he would continue to call for gun reform, while Pearson thanked the Shelby County Commission for their support.
“The message for all the people in Nashville who decided to expel us: You can’t expel […] Nashville thought that they could silence democracy, but they didn’t know the Shelby County Commission,” Pearson said.
The decision to reappoint Pearson and Jones to the Tennessee House of Representatives is a victory for those who believe in the power of democracy and the importance of gun reform. The two lawmakers have vowed to continue their fight for gun reform, and their reinstatement is a reminder that the people’s voices cannot be silenced.
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