Who recorded it? Democratic state Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville and Justin Jones of Nashville raise their arms in defiance after a vote that expelled Jones from the governing body in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday. Tre Hargett was elected by the Tennessee General Assembly to serve as Tennessee's 37th secretary of state in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, and 2021. Martin Luther King Jr. And then, of course, there was the famous peeing incident, where a legislators office chair was urinated on in an act of intraparty retribution over shitposting. My friends in school all called me Little Miss Law and Order because Im a rule follower. Forward TN is building a bottom-up movement to reform our political system. I am able to speak because the people of my district sent me here," he said. Re-drawn congressional districts shuffled the seats in play. Most particularly, I was standing for the young people, he said. By Shajia Abidi, Alexis Barnes, Jason Bernert, Lenny Bronner, Dana Cassidy, John Cherian, Tyler Fisher, Dylan Freedman, Jen Haskell, Daniel Kao, Chloe Langston, Brittany Renee Mayes, Anthony Pesce, Erik Reyna, Sam Shi, Ashlyn Still and Risha Surana, Previous contributors: Holden Foreman, Dara Gold, Emily Liu and Chris Zubak-Skees. Rather than debating the merits of the issue, these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence,and expel duly-elected representatives of the people of Tennessee.". Isnt it fitting these allegations are made during Holy Week?. Sitting in puddles on the first floor of the closest parking garage to the Capitol, a group of demonstrators carefully wrapped tape around their signs to waterproof them an hour before the rally even started. 1:55 Tennessee's abortion ban does not apply to embryos created outside a womb, according to a new opinion released by Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. With a bullhorn, Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform. The state House is expected to take up resolutions to expel three Democratic lawmakers over their actions interrupting a floor. "Give me a break. The record thus far simply proves that Rep. Johnson walked from there to there, and you want to expel her for that? said Rep. John Ray Clemmons, motioning from Johnsons desk to the podium. Jones accused the Republican supermajority of strategically silencing democrats, and implied that expulsion of the three could have racist intentions. He argued that the caucus had no notice of intent to show the video, and the three members facing expulsion did not have opportunity to review the video before proceedings. The undercurrent of race is present in many of the Capitols controversies. While it may not be the full solution to the danger and violence we see in the world, it is certainly a step forward, said House Republican Leader William Lamberth, referring to the Covenant School shooting. On two separate occasions in 2020, Republican legislators publicly cracked jokes about Black people eating fried chicken. It includes several policies backed by Gov. Tensions flared this week when the expulsion proceedings started Monday with the introduction of the resolutions. House Bill 322, the first bill taken up by the chamber, passed in a vote of 95 to 4 after lengthy debate. Last year, he bowed out after just one term, later saying there were too many people there who are just mean and vindictive, only caring about winning at all costs. Other members live under the fear and dread of a possible primary challenge the only election that now matters in most districts in Tennessee if they stray from the party orthodoxy on guns, access to abortion and other issues. Bill Lee is running for reelection and his Democratic challenger is Jason Martin, a physician who won his primary by fewer than 2,000 votes. Former Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) delivers remarks during his expulsion proceedings on the floor of the Tennessee House chamber on April 6, 2023. After further debate, Sexton directed the House Clerk to read the expulsion resolution for Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, officially triggering his 20-minute defense. The protest and subsequent expulsion over decorum rules took place in a chamber where a GOP member, for years, rang a cowbell every day of session as a raucous, attention-grabbing substitute for applause. Remember that seven people died last week. And why was it not provided to leadership? Democratic Caucus Chairman Rep. John Ray Clemmons, D-Nashville, asked. Demonstrators gathered around a screen watching the proceedings inside, while others held their phones to their ears to hear. Republican leadership is considering expelling the three members for their actions on March 30. ", As members Thursday debated the resolution to remove Johnson, she said she participated in the protest because she felt she had to "raise the voice of the people in my district," adding, "I did what I felt those folks wanted me to do.. Todays expulsion of lawmakers who engaged in peaceful protest is shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent. "I want to apologize to the mothers, the fathers and the children who came to our state Capitol yesterday to speak and demand action. While more states every year work to pass laws to protect LGBTQ people, state legislatures are . Updated Dec. 13, 2022 at 9:16 a.m. Eastern. Johnson is white. House leaders at the time called their actions an insurrection.. 36 of those Democratic seats were not up for election this year. In a twist of fate, that same Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white woman, narrowly escaped expulsion on Thursday. After Johnsons attorneys spoke, Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, cross-examined Johnson on the charges in the resolution which her attorneys disputed: yelling, banging on the podium, and disorderly behavior. Instead, the current era of the Tennessee legislature has been defined by a non-stop stream of befuddling scandals and unforced errors by a Republican supermajority that is seemingly insulated from being punished for them. The fear and horror set in when a staff member asked students to move away from windows and they learned children had been killed.Donning a bright blue poncho, Brzozowski said they came to the protest Thursday to send a message to those in power.I have been protesting guns for years, Brzozowski said. "Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it wont lead to progress," he added. They tried to shred our constitution with a bullhorn, Rep. Gino Bulso, who introduced one of the resolutions, said Thursday. Democrats clashed with the three lawmakers on the floor of the House as leadership decided how to respond to the unprecedented situation. All of whom are terrified by the continued trend of mass shootings plaguing this state and plaguing this nation., Jones admitted that in doing so he was breaking a house rule, but exercising moral obedience to my constitutional responsibility to be a voice for my people.. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. The expulsions mark the fourth time since the end of the Civil War when House members expelled their elected colleagues. Six lawmakers were ousted during an 1866special session after they tried to prevent Tennessee from ratifyingan amendment to the U.S. Constitution to providecitizenship to formerslaves. It was the Tennessee Democrats who led the charge to install the Forrest bust in the 1970s and who made life difficult for Republicans when they ran the state legislature for decades. Allow them to fight for themselves. Former Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, and former Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, raise their hands outside the House chamber after Jones and Pearson were expelled from the legislature in Nashville, Tenn., on Thursday. During welcoming and honoring remarks, Johnson welcomed buses of protestors who traveled from Knoxville. Even the Republican governor said he believed the allegations to be credible. Clemmons asked the House Clerk to read House Rule 2, which prohibits recording and live streaming of House proceedings by members. A group of THP officers pushed against some protesters through the walkway to return the lawmaker to the chamber. "Grow up!" No One Should Be Shocked by What's Happening in Tennessee Theyve got a 29-item calendar and are expected to take up the expulsion hearing for Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson at the end of the agenda. 51 +1. Nashville: How Tennessee's Blue Island Was Lost in a Sea of Red Seven Republicans broke with their party to vote against expulsion: Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, Rep. Charlie Baum, R-Murfreesboro, Rep. Justin Jones said the expulsion was not a silencing of them as individuals, rather the silencing of an entire movement.Well see you on Monday, he said, referencing the special meeting already called by Metro Council to appoint an interim Representative. House Republicans fell one vote short in an attempt to expel Rep. Gloria Johnson from the Tennessee House of Representatives, in a shocking vote of 65 to 30, falling just one vote short of the 66 votes needed to prevail. Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, was expelled by a vote of 72 to 25 after 90 minutes of debate. The world is watching Tennessee, Jones said. Windle spoke first on her behalf, pointing out specific accusations in the resolution of actions that Johnson specifically did not commit. Johnson promised to help her two now-former colleagues get back to the legislature, and Pearson led the crowd in a chant: We will never quit., In an MSNBC interview before his expulsion vote, Pearson said: We are losing our democracy. Perhaps though there is not an ounce of evidence supporting this theory that bygone era of Howard Baker bipartisanship will be resuscitated. Id like to welcome District 86, everyone in the gallery standing up for the end of gun violence and the need for protection of our communities, he said. Longtime political insiders around the Capitol on Monday were stunned to see how quickly expulsion resolutions were drawn up against the three members. On Monday, Sexton walked back some of his remarks, saying his "intent" was misrepresented and he meant to differentiate between the protest and the three Democratic lawmakers. Before the final vote, all democrats in the chamber gathered around Johnson as she read the names of the six victims killed at the Covenant School last week during her closing remarks. In an MSNBC interview after his expulsion, Jones said the House was setting a "dangerous" precedent. TNJ - Tennessee Politics and Legislature news from The Tennessee JournalTNJ Community Corner Politics & Government More News | Apr 25 Republican Lawmakers Pass Six Bills Targeting Nashville In 2023 The Metro Nashville Legal Department is expected to file lawsuits. Districts classified as Strong Biden and Strong Trump show where a candidate is estimated to have won by 15 percentage points or more. How races for each state's highest office are shaking out. All three resolutions passed along party lines making it difficult for Democrats to block the final vote today. Raising funds to attend Forward Party's national summit in Colorado so we can learn more about official party recognition in Tennessee. House leadership in recent years declined to take sanctions action against a lawmaker accused of sexually assaulting minors when serving as a basketball coach decades earlier and against a former House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin. Republican Gov. I fought for my constituents in a quiet, non-desk-pounding, non-whatever was said about holding up signs or whatever, Johnson said. We had given them warnings. A week ago Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis approached the podium between bills during the session without being recognized, a breach of chamber rules. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, said the Department of Safety issued a capacity limit for protesters allowed inside the House, likely in response to a larger crowd that was let into the Capitol halls last week. Published June 23, 2023 | By Erik Schelzig Rep. Timothy Hill (R-Blountville) attends a House briefing on March 16, 2020. This kind of scene Thursday was the last thing they would have wanted to see happen, said Keel Hunt, an author of books on Tennessee politics who worked as an aide to then-Gov. When I covered the Tennessee Capitol from 2018 to 2021, the family-values espousing Republican House speaker had to explain why his text message trail included discussions of pole-dancing women and his chief of staffs sexual encounters in the bathroom of a hot chicken restaurant. These TN laws are currently being challenged in court Tennessee / 6 days ago Could court cases change TN's voting districts? George Walker IV/AP Photo. The effort to remove Johnson fell short of the two-thirds majority of all 100 members needed. "What's happening in Tennessee is a clear danger to democracy all across this nation." . Theres one common denominator: its the guns.. Price initially tweeted, 'Hell yes it was my megaphone,' sharing two photos: one of her holding a large megaphone with Johnson outside, and a Tennessean photo of Jones using a smaller megaphone from the well. If you want to conduct business in this house, file a bill.. I may have gone to the well without permission, but the charges in this statement are false, she said. They werent successful. Untie their hands. Were tracking them all. In the TN House of Reps . Theyre about to vote! someone on a bullhorn called out on the Capitol steps just before 1 p.m.The crowd of about 200 began chanting: We stand together!. Veteran Democrats were seen loudly arguing with Jones before they all went into an antechamber. Lawmakers also had to wade back through the crowd to use the only available restroom. A rally by supporters of trans rights at the Tennessee Capitol complex in Nashville in February. I cannot tell you all how thankful I am for you all, she said to the crowd, charged with emotion. An emotional, weeks-long confrontation in the state Legislature has thrust Nashville onto . Happening Now in Roane County - Facebook As power shifts to the states, voter referendums matter more than ever. We're tracking election results in Tennessee follow No demonstrators broke into the Capitol, no one was arrested or injured, and no property was damaged. It relies heavily on two nonpartisan organizations with long track records of examining raw vote totals and calling elections: the Associated Press and Edison Research. The protestor was not arrested, and immediately returned to the protest. This is not about expelling us as individuals. The Democrats have gained 1 seat they did not previously hold. Republicans then voted to remove Rep. Justin Pearson. After gathering his personal items from his legislative desk, he exited the House chamber and took some questions from the media. Republicans voted on whether to remove the Democratic legislators for participating in an unauthorized gun safety protest on the House floor last week. Rep. Mark White (R-Memphis) holds his head in his hands while on the floor of the House chamber during the expulsion proceedings on April 6. At the outset of the proceedings, House Republicans moved to play a heavily edited video showing some of the events of last weeks protests despite Democratic objections. Tennessee Election Results. Villarejo's name had been circulating in the Spanish press for years. Democrats argued that the member who recorded video on the House floor was in violation of the chambers rules, and should face consequences. The Future of Republican Governance Is on Display in Tennessee Its happening everywhere, folks. Black people are idiots, Cade Cothren, the chief of staff to former House Speaker Glen Casada, once wrote in a text message during a conversation about Common Core curriculum. The world of politics experienced a collective shock this week as Tennessee Republicans expelled two young, Black, Democratic House members for protesting gun laws on the chamber floor after a. What we see today is a lynch mob assemble to not like me, but our democratic process, Jones said, during his defense. During a chaotic session Monday, Tennessee House Republicans introduced resolutions to expel the three. "The fact that this vote is happening is shocking, undemocratic and without precedent. House members turned to the final resolution to expel freshman Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis. ", The proceedings prompted criticism from Democrats across the country, including the White House. The entire House Democratic Caucus, and several senators including Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, gathered around Pearson as he gave his closing argument. "You are talking about kicking somebody out of this body and you can't sit through a debate?". They were peaceful," Sexton later said. For them and others, the speed with which the Tennessee House acted this week to throw out two young Black legislators must be put into perspective by all the other issues the legislature has declined to act on. THP officers cleared paths where necessary to allow this. That body has given the states Capitol press corps a fraction of the size it was decades earlier no shortage of things to uncover and try to explain to readers. Protestors inside the Capitol were packed shoulder to shoulder. The real question is how do we prevent people with assault rifles from going into schools?, Anne Carter, 75, and her friend, Charlie Brau, 84, stood among the protesters on the Capitol steps around 11 a.m. The 'Big Sort,' again: Americans are moving for political alignment - NPR
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