Rep. Justin Jones expulsion updates: Council reappoints, Jones retakes oath of office
Days after Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, was expelled from the Tennessee House for leading a gun-control protest from the floor following a deadly shooting at Covenant School, the Metro Nashville Council reappointed him to the seat.
Last week, the House expelled Jones in a 72-25 vote, and Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, in a 69-26 decision — moves that put the nation's eyes on Tennessee and its politics. Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, survived a similar vote.
Related story: Majority of Nashville Council members vow to reappoint Justin Jones to the state House
During a special called meeting Monday, the Council unanimously voted to reappoint Jones to the seat. Three members were not present for the vote.
Immediately after the vote, Jones, and hundreds of protesters, marched to the Capitol where he was sworn in again before taking his seat on the House floor as session was ongoing.
Follow along for live updates here.
Rep. Justin Jones takes to the microphone for the first time upon returning to the House floor
House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville called on Jones to speak within minutes of his re-taking his seat.
“I want to welcome the people back to the people’s house. I want to welcome democracy back to the people’s house,” Jones said in his first remarks back on the floor. “On last Thursday, members tried to crucify democracy, but today we have a resurrection.”
“Today, 78,000 people have a voice in this chamber once again,” he added. "No expulsion, no attempt to silence us will stop us, but only galvanize and strengthen our movement. We continue to show up in the people's house. Power to the people!"
Sexton gaveled participants responding to Jones' speech in the galleries into order twice before Jones finished.
Jones will not be reappointed to legislative committees until after a special election is held. He will be allowed to file 15 new bills, as his original 15 bills were transferred to Leader Karen Camper when he was expelled. Jones said Monday that he plans to use all of those “to call for common sense gun reforms.”
— Vivian Jones, The Tennessean
Rep. Justin Jones returns to House
Four days after being expelled from the House of Representatives, Rep. Justin Jones triumphantly returned to the House chamber on Monday evening, escorted by Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville.
Jones re-took the oath of office on the State Capitol steps shortly after the House gaveled into session on Monday evening. A throng of supporters escorted him on the short walk from the historic Metro Courthouse to the Capitol building.
Within minutes of taking the oath, Jones re-entered the House Chamber from which he had been expelled just four days before. No bill votes had occurred since he was expelled during the session Thursday.
Crowded House galleries broke out in cheers as Jones walked from the chamber doors to his desk, on Johnson’s arm.
Moments after he took his seat, Rep. Antonio Parkinson, D-Memphis, welcomed him back to the chamber, to more cheers from the galleries.
— Vivian Jones, The Tennessean
Rep. Justin Jones retakes oath of office
With a police escort, Rep. Justin Jones marched from City Hall, where the Metro Council unanimously reappointed him to the District 52 seat, to the Capitol ahead of Monday night's House session.
Protesters were there ready to welcome Jones back to the Capitol.
"Welcome home," they said. "Welcome home!"
Jones took a bullhorn in his hands and began speaking.
"Today we sent a clear message to Speaker Cameron Sexton that the people will not allow his crimes against democracy to happen without challenge," he said. "This is not about one person. It's not about one position. It's about a movement of people empowered to restore the soul of what this building should represent and that is democracy."
Chancellor I'Ashea L Myles led Jones in his oath on the steps of the Capitol as cheers erupted from the crowd. When he was done, he raised his fist into the air.
— Vivian Jones, The Tennessean
Metro Council reappoints Justin Jones to Tennessee House
With a packed house the Metro Council voted to reappoint Rep. Justin Jones to his seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
Jones, along with Rep. Justin Pearson, were expelled from the House Thursday. Rep. Gloria Johnson narrowly escaped expulsion.
"This afternoon's vote is unprecedented," Mayor John Cooper said at the microphone Monday afternoon. "Voters in District 52 elected Justin Jones to be their voice at the statehouse, and that voice was taken away this past week. So let's give them their voice back. I call on this body to vote unanimously, right now, to do just that."
The council unanimously voted to suspend the rules to nominate Jones to the vacant seat. The gallery erupted in cheers upon the vote.
Jones won the vote 36-0. Three voting members were absent for the vote.
— Cassie Stephenson, The Tennessean
House Majority Leader William Lamberth: 'We will welcome them'
As Senate business began Monday, House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby said they would “welcome” Jones and Pearson back to the chamber if they are reappointed, and advised them to follow chamber protocol.
“Tennessee’s constitution provides a pathway back for expulsion. Should any expelled member be reappointed, we will welcome them,” Lamberth and Faison said in a joint statement. “Like everyone else, they are expected to follow the rules of the House as well as state law.”
They added that Republican members “continue to mourn the six lives lost,” and “remain focused on solutions that ensure every child and parent feels safe in every community.”
House members are scheduled to take up a bill to allow people to carry handguns while hunting, in certain circumstances, among other bills. Last week, the House passed a bill aimed at heightening security on public and private school campuses.
Senators are considering resolutions honoring Detective Michael Collazo and officer Rex Engelbert, the Metro Nashville police officers who rushed into The Covenant School to stop the attack.
The Senate is also expected to approve 6-weeks of paid parental leave for executive employees – a reduction from 12-weeks paid leave already approved by the Senate, which was reduced by the House. The Lee administration did not oppose the reduction. Employees may take up to 12 weeks of leave, but only 6 will be paid. Legislative staff will continue to not receive any paid leave.
Senators will also consider a bill to prohibit minors from receiving any kind of vaccinations without parental consent, and a bill to penalize book distributors and publishers who knowingly distribute obscene materials to schools.
— Vivian Jones, The Tennessean
Crowd gathers outside City Hall ahead of reappointment vote
Before the Metro Council meeting was set to begin, a crowd quickly grew outside City Hall Monday afternoon.
About 150 protesters handed out signs saying “Get rid of bloody Bill Lee” as well as “protect kids not guns.”
Chants of “No Justice, no peace,” shouted in the Capitol just last week, have changed to “No Justin, no peace.”
Squatting in the grass crafting a sign, Maurgea Albert-Adams said she was didn’t know what else to do but show up.“I grew up here, and I’m just in shock, seeing how constantly people who are in power just let down the people who actually end up here,” she said. “It just sickens me, and all that you can do is show up and scream and show support.”
— Angele Latham, The Tennessean
Speaker Cameron Sexton: Expelled representatives to be sat upon reappointment
Both expelled Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson will be seated back in the House of Representatives, if appointed as interim members by their county legislative bodies, the office of House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, confirmed Monday.
“The two governing bodies will make the decision as to who they want to appoint to these seats,” Sexton spokesman Doug Kufner told The Tennessean. “Those two individuals will be seated as representatives as the constitution requires.”
— Vivian Jones, The Tennessean
Sexton expresses support for Memphis stadium funding amid Pearson reappointment
Democrats in Memphis and Shelby County fear that reappointing Democrat Justin J. Pearson to his seat in the state House will mean retaliation from the state’s Republican supermajority, retaliation in the form of denying funding for high-impact projects like the FedExForum and Regional One Health.
But a written statement, Doug Kufner, communications director for House Speaker Cameron Sexton, said Sexton “will continue to be supportive” of the $350 million proposed by Gov. Bill Lee for Memphis stadiums.
“The House hasn’t entered into budget negotiations with the Senate at this time,” Kufner said. “(Sexton) is hopeful the funding will remain in when the final budget is presented on both floors.”
— Katherine Burgess, The Commercial Appeal
Former U.S. Attorney General representing Rep. Justin Jones
Former U.S. Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. signed on to provide counsel to Rep. Justin Jones as reappointment to the House seems imminent.
Holder served as the 82nd Attorney General from 2009 to 2015 under President Barack Obama's administration. He was the first Black person to hold the position.
In a letter sent to House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Holder demands the "full and immediate restoration of their rights" should Jones and Pearson be reappointed to their seats.
"The world is watching Tennessee," Holder wrote. "Any partisan retributive actions, such as the discriminatory treatment of elected officials, or threats or actions to withhold funding for government programs, would constitute further unconstitutional action that would require redress."
— Kirsten Fiscus, The Tennessean
How reappointment will work for expelled Rep. Justin Jones
Metro Council called a special meeting to take up a discussion and vote to reappoint Justin Jones to his seat.
The meeting will need a quorum of 27 members present to hold a vote. Last week, at least 29 members, more than a majority, said they would vote to reappoint.
Normally, electing an interim representative takes four weeks, according to council rules. The council will need to suspend the rules to vote Monday night. That effort could be thwarted if at least two council members object to suspending the rules.
If the rules are suspended, Jones accepts a nomination and more than half of the council members present at the meeting vote to reinstate him, Jones could be back in the District 52 Tennessee House seat by Monday evening.
How Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson came under GOP fire
The three were accused of violating decorum rules March 30 when they led a gun-control protest from the House floor with a bullhorn, days after three students and three staff members were gunned down inside Covenant School.
Four days later, the Republican supermajority began the expulsion process for the three. Sexton compared the protests to an "insurrection" but walked it back and said he was strictly referring to the behavior of the three lawmakers.
Sexton said he considered the unprecedented floor protest an act "against civil authority."
After a fiery debate and hourslong process, Jones and Pearson were expelled effective immediately and their profiles on the legislative website were removed.
Filling the vacancies falls to county legislative bodies, and in Jones' case, Nashville's Metro Council. At least 29 members of the 40-seat Metro Council, more than a majority, have said they plan to vote in favor of reappointing Jones.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners will hold a special-called meeting to discuss reappointing Pearson to his seat on Wednesday.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Rep. Justin Jones retakes oath after Metro Council reappoints him to seat
