The legislative body controlled by the Republicans in Tennessee On Thursday, he took an extraordinary step to expel two democratic members of a state house for their role in Passing for control over weapons In the cell last week after Deadly school shooting in NashvilleField
After several hours of debate, the lawmakers voted 72–25 to expel the member of the House of Representatives of Justin Jones from Nashville and 69–26 to expel the member of the House of Representatives of Justin Pirson from Memphis after they led to the singing from the podium on the floor on March 30, using Megaphone, while hundreds of children and their parents filled the Gallery and their parents. Spectators to call for the fight against weapons.
Voting to exclude the third state member, a member of the House of Gloria Johnson from Knoxville, failed in one voice. She argued that the resolution written by the Republicans for its expulsion did not accurately describe her behavior; While she was standing with Parson and Jones to support their protest, she did not violate the trial, screaming at Bulhor.
Two -thirds of votes were required to remove legislators. Republicans currently control 75 out of 99 seats in Staithaus.
Parson and Johns Oba 27-year-old black men who are in the first period in Staithaus, and the 60-year-old Johnson-white woman, who is in fourth period. “It may be associated with the color of our skin”, Johnson He said outside the camera After voting.
Calling January 6th attack on US CapitolsSpeaker of the House of Representatives Cameron Sexton, Republican, who heads the supermajoria of the Republican Party in the cell, said that the actions of the trio were “At least the equivalent, maybe worse depending on how you look at it, on the reinforcement in the Capitol.”
Although the demonstration really forced the speaker to temporarily freeze work in Statehouse, there were no protesters in the building, it did not damage any property or were not arrested. Unlike the uprising of 2021 in the district of Columbia, they were allowed after passing security screening, Tennessin The newspaper reported.
The Republicans argued that the trio violated the rules of the chamber procedure, approaching the catwalk to speak without calling.
Expelled lawmakers could again run to their places, and if they were re -elected, they could not be excluded for the same offense.
How legislators voted on Thursday exile, protesters gathered again inside And outside Capitol in support of the so -called Tennessessi three. The spots could be heard outside the chamber for hours, when the lawmakers met, but the democrats asked the supporters in the public gallery to remain quiet so that they could testify to events. However, as soon as the final vote on the pierzon occurred, people in the gallery broke out in the chants “Shame on you!”
Before voting, each of the target democrats was given the opportunity to turn to the ward. In his speech, Jones told his colleagues that he had taken extraordinary measures to interrupt the joke in order to defend his voters. He condemned the vote against him as “a Linchmoperic crowd, so as not to lynch me, but our democratic process.”
“The world is watching Tennessee, because what is happening here today is a farce of democracy,” Jones said.
“The movement for justice can never die,” said Parson in his speech, “because the heart for justice can never be killed, because it lives, and it beats in each of us.”
Exile on Thursday attracted significant attention of the national level, including from the president Joe BidenThe field “The expulsion of legislators who are engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic and unprecedented” – he He said on TwitterField
