Tennessee House Expels Second of Three Democrats After Gun Control Protests

Former Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, becomes emotional with family after being expelled
AP Photo/George Walker IV

The Tennessee House of Representatives expelled two Democrat members Thursday, days after those members allegedly broke House rules via their participation in gun control protests.

Breitbart News reported that three Democrat representatives were considered for expulsion. Those were Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson.

Of the three, only Johnson was spared expulsion.

Rep. Justin Jones (D) was the first House member to be expelled Thursday and Rep. Pearson was the second.

Odessa Kelly via Storyful

Days ago, on April 3, 2023, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) explained that the votes were not about peaceful protests. Rather, he suggested the actions allegedly undertaken by Jones, Johnson, and Pearson “[broke] several rules of decorum and procedure on the House floor.” The Tennessean reported that Johnson, Jones, and Pearson allegedly used “a bullhorn” as they “led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform.”

Jones was expelled by a vote of 75-26. The push to expel Johnson failed by a vote of 65-30. Pearson was then expelled by a 69-26 vote, according to Action News 5.

Prior to the expulsion votes, Jones, Johnson, and Pearson voted against a school safety bill that would add armed guards to every Tennessee school.

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. AWR Hawkins holds a Ph.D. in Military History, with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.

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