Six black and red ribbons representing those who died in the March 27 mass shooting at the Covenant School in Tennessee were arrayed before the clerk when the Metro Nashville Council met in special session at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday.
The single item on the agenda was to fill the vacancy left when Democratic State Rep. Justin Jones was expelled on Thursday. Jones, along with Reps. Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, had become known as the Tennessee Three when the ruling GOP supermajority in the General Assembly moved to expel them.
The trio was charged with violating “decorum” by stepping into the well on the House floor and briefly voicing solidarity with hundreds of protesters who gathered peacefully at the capital in the aftermath of the Covenant School shooting. They explained during expulsion proceedings on Thursday that they had done so only after Speaker Cameron Sexton and his GOP cabal kept them from discussing gun reform.
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“We called for you all to ban assault weapons and you responded with an assault on democracy,” Jones said.
Johnson—who is white—managed to hold onto her seat by one vote. Jones and Pearson—who are Black—became only the third and four legislators expelled in Tennessee history. Jones made a pledge on his way out.
“See you on Monday,” he said.
Sexton and his crew apparently failed to consider, in their rush to expel the Tennessee Three, that the choice of interim replacements fell to the county commissions—which in the cases of both Jones and Pearson, have Democratic majorities.
That included District 52 in Nashville, which Jones represents, where his expulsion seems to have badly inflamed his constituents.
“I have received almost an email every minute since Thursday asking me to reappoint Rep. Justin Jones,” Metro Nashville Council Member Kevin Rhoten tweeted. “In my eight years on Metro Council, I have never been bombarded with emails like this… I will vote to reinstate him.”
Rhoten and all 36 fellow council members were present when Vice Mayor Jim Shulman gaveled the special session to order. The invocation was delivered by Council Member Zulfat Suara. She asked everybody to continue praying for the Covenant School victims, who included three 9-year-olds.
“May the death not be in vain,” she said. “Today we heard of another mass shooting in Kentucky, several families whose lives are now shattered. We ask that you be with them a lot more than anything. We ask you to guide our state and national leaders in taking action and enact, enacting, sensible and just gun laws. Amen.”
A gunman had killed at least four in the Old National Bank in Louisville that morning. Two of the dead and one of the wounded were close friends of Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear, who immediately rushed to the scene. The pro-gun reform Democrat was in tears as he spoke afterward, saying, “Our bodies and our minds are not meant to go through these types of tragedies.”
But Beshear said nothing about guns. He had explained in the aftermath of last year’s mass school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that “any changes in access to firearms would require a legislative act.” And the Kentucky legislature is also ruled by a GOP supermajority.
So, in terms of gun reform, it made no immediate difference for Kentucky who the governor was. Just as in Tennessee, where Gov. Bill Lee responded to the Covenant School shooting by posting a dry-eyed video in which he reported that his wife had lost one of her closest friends.
What might end up making a difference in Tennessee, however, is the expulsion of Jones and Pearson. They became instant celebrities who are actually worth celebrating, young champions of democracy and racial justice and gun reform.
Rep. Justin Jones and his supporters march to the Tennessee Capitol after he was reinstated to his position as a state Legislator by the Nashville City Council.
Kevin Wurm/ReutersA reminder of the need to do something about the firearms pervading every aspect of American society reached the Nashville Metro Council with the news from Kentucky, just hours before its vote.
“Our hearts also go out, as Council Member Suara said, to the people of Louisville for the tragic shooting that occurred there today,” Shulman said after the invocation.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper noted that the upcoming vote “is unprecedented.”
“But so was the action taken to expel members of the legislature,” he continued. “Voters in District 52 elected Justin Jones to be their voice at the State House and that voice was taken away this past week. So let’s give them their voice back. And I call on this body to vote unanimously right now to do just that.”
In a voice vote, the council unanimously suspended rules that might have delayed filing the vacancy for a month or more. They immediately took the next step.
“Because the rules have been suspended, we are asking anyone who wants to make a nomination to stand,” Shulmans said.
Council Member Delishia Porterfield rose.
“Thank you, Vice Mayor, I would like to nominate Representative Justin Jones,” she said.
Her voice resonated with the import of the moment. The nomination was seconded.
“Are there any further nominations?” Shulman asked.
There was silence.
“Seeing none, without objection, nominations are closed,” Shulman said.
Rep. Justin Jones reenters the House Chamber after being reinstated.
Cheney Orr/ReutersPorterfield was given five minutes to speak on behalf of her nominee. She noted that Jones scored the most votes in both the primary and the general election in 2022.
“On November the eighth, the people made a choice and it was the right choice,” she said. “On Thursday, April the sixth, we witnessed a miscarriage of justice and an egregious assault on our democracy … To reinstate Representative Jones, we are restoring the political voice of the 70,000 people of District 52.”
She went on, “Our community members are more than capable of selecting their representative and their will should have never been undermined. Representative Jones was honest about who he was, a bold and unapologetic advocate for the community. The people chose their representative. And with this vote, we will send a strong message to our state government and across the country that we will not tolerate threats to our democracy.”
The Tennessee Three were giving rise to another champion.
“And colleagues, with that, I ask you to please vote to approve Representative Jones,” she said.
She had taken only two minutes.
“I will now call for the election,” Shulman said. “We have only one nomination before us.”
The vote was tallied electronically and nobody could have been surprised when it was unanimous.
“Justin Jones has been elected as the interim successor for the vacancy of Tennessee House District 52 pursuant to the state law and the rules governing the Metropolitan Counsel,” Shulman declared.
The whole process had taken less than 10 minutes, ending shortly before 5 p.m., when the Tennessee Assembly met for an evening session a brief walk away from the council chambers, along John Lewis Way with a big crowd. There had been reports that the GOP cabal would fight efforts to reinstate Jones and Pearson, but Sexton apparently knew when he was beat.
“The two governing bodies will make the decision as to who they want to appoint to these seats,” Sexton said through a spokesperson. “Those two individuals will be seated as representatives as the Constitution requires.”
Just after 6 p.m., Democratic State Rep. Antonio Parkinson made an announcement on the General Assembly floor that was welcomed by cheers from the spectator gallery.
“Mr. Speaker, I want to welcome our newest member to the House chamber, State Rep. Justin Jones,” he said.
Rep. Justin Pearson waves from the Tennessee House gallery after Rep. Justin Jones returned to the chamber’s floor following his reinstatement.
Cheney Orr/ReutersA triumphant Jones had made good on his pledge to return. He entered the chamber with Johnson, his left arm hooked around hers, his right hand raised in a fist as they strolled down the aisle and across the well. You could almost believe they will be able to do something about guns.
Sexton tried to quiet the crowd and then recognized Jones.
“Thank you, Mr. Speaker,” Jones began. “I want to welcome the people back to the people’s house. I want to welcome democracy back to the people’s house.”
He continued with a message befitting the day after Easter.
“Last Thursday, members of this body tried to crucify democracy. But today we stand as a witness of a resurrection, of a movement of a multiracial democracy that no unjust decision will stand. “
He went on, saying “There comes a time where time itself is ready for a change. And that time has come back here in Nashville, Tennessee.”
His words had substance that long predates social media.
“Truth crushed to the ground will rise again … What you intend for evil can be used for good to restore the heart of democracy in our state. I come here to stand with my constituents, with the people of Tennessee to say that no unjust attack on democracy will happen unchallenged, that the abuse of this body will not happen in the comfort of silence.”
He said he is hopeful for the days ahead, which are expected to include the equally triumphant reinstatement of Pearson on Wednesday.
“Not because of the actions of this body, but because of the actions of the people out there and the thousands gathered outside this chamber right now, who are calling for something better, who responded to your attacks on democracy with an attack of a mass movement for social justice and racial justice and economic justice to restore the heart of our state,” he said.
He thanked those who expelled him.
“Not for what you did, but for awakening the people of this state, particularly the young people. Thank you for reminding us that the struggle for justice is fought in one in every generation.”
He warned that any attempt to silence this movement would only galvanize and strengthen it. He closed with a cry that must have gone surreal in the ears of a supermajority that needs gerrymandering and voter suppression to keep control.
“Power to the people!”
