NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Members of the Nashville Metro Council voted on Monday to reinstate Justin Jones as a representative in the Tennessee House.
The vote passed 36-0 with no abstentions, according to CNN. Three voting members were not present, The Tennessean reported. Jones will return to his seat as an interim representative.
He was sworn in moments later at the state Capitol, according to the newspaper.
Update 9:58 p.m. EDT April 10: In an interview with CNN later Monday night, Jones said the overall experience was stressful but productive.
“It was a very emotional day, a very exhausting day, but a hopeful day,” Jones said.
Original report: “Today we’re sending a resounding message that democracy will not be killed in the comfort of silence,” Jones said to the crowd after the vote.
Jones, D-Nashville, and Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, were expelled from the Tennessee House for leading a gun-control protest from the floor after a mass shooting at The Covenant School, WZTV reported. They were expelled by a Republican supermajority in the Tennessee House.
On Monday, the Metro Nashville Council officially announced the vacancy in District 52, which Jones represents. Lawmakers then voted to suspend the rule to wait a month to refill Jones’ position, allowing them to vote for reinstatement, according to the television station.
Nashville Council votes overwhelmingly to reappoint Justin Jones to state legislature https://t.co/suc9GSqBks
— Tennessean (@Tennessean) April 10, 2023
Had that vote failed, Jones would have had to wait four weeks to see if he would be reinstated.
“This afternoon’s vote is unprecedented,” Mayor John Cooper said Monday, according to The Tennessean. “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 Shelby County Commission is expected to vote on whether to reinstate Pearson on Wednesday, according to The Washington Post.
Jones, Pearson and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, interrupted the Legislature on Thursday by chanting “No action, no peace” on the House floor. Jones and Pearson used a bullhorn, and, eventually, legislative proceedings were halted.
Jones was expelled in a 72-25 vote, and Pearson was also ousted in a 69-26 vote. Johnson, survived by a 65-30 vote as the vote fell short of expulsion by one vote.
None of the three had been recognized to speak from the well of the floor.
The speaker of the House, Cameron Sexton, said their actions violated House rules of decorum and procedure,according to The New York Times. Sexton revoked their ID access to the State Capitol building and stripped two of the three lawmakers of their committee assignments.
Earlier, Tennessee House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison, R-Cosby, said they would “welcome” Jones and Pearson if they were reappointed and advised them to follow chamber protocol, according to The Tennessean.
“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.”
Jones will still have to run for reelection in a special election, the Post reported. That is because his appointment is taking place more than 12 months before the next state election, which will be held in November 2024.
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