- Justin Pearson was reinstated back into the Tennessee House of Representatives
- The decision was a result of a unanimous vote of all seven members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners
- Republicans ousted the Black lawmaker after joining protests calling for stricter gun control
Justin Pearson has been reinstated back into the House of Representatives of Tennessee after he was ousted by Republican lawmakers for joining protests calling for gun measures.
The decision resulted from a unanimous vote of all seven members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners. Pearson was one of the lawmakers who joined residents in calling for stricter gun controls following the horrific Nashville school shooting that killed six people.
Justin Pearson was Voted Back Into the Tennessee House
GOP representatives worked to expel the lawmakers involved in the protest and ousted Pearson and another Black man, Rep. Justin Jones, on Apr. 6. The votes passed mainly along party lines. A third lawmaker that Republicans wanted to oust was Rep. Gloria Johnson, who narrowly avoided expulsion by one vote, as per the New York Times.
The unprecedented situation caused by an act of protest was only the third time since the Civil War that the Tennessee House worked to expel a lawmaker. The Republicans' decision caused outrage among Democrats, including President Joe Biden, who called the moves "shocking" and "undemocratic."
Now, two House seats are left, prompting local governing bodies in the districts represented by Jones and Pearson to name temporary replacements. Less than a week following the ousting, the Metropolitan Nashville Council unanimously voted to bring Jones back to the seat, and he was sworn in on the same day.
Following the Wednesday vote, Pearson addressed a crowd of supporters and said no one could expel hope, justice, or their voices. He added that the GOP would be unable to remove their fight, arguing that they would continue to fight.
Republicans Ousting Democratic Lawmakers
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners was made mostly of Democrats and decided to let Pearson represent House District 86. The two Black lawmakers will, for now, serve as interim representatives. According to BBC, authorities will hold special elections in the next few months where both lawmakers plan to run.
In an interview, Mickell Lowery, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners chairman. The people in District 86 needed to be represented by an individual they voted for overwhelmingly and have him in office.
Before the vote to bring Pearson back, he led a march that began at the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis. At the time, he told the crowd that democracy would lift the victims of gun violence in the country instead of supporting the National Rifle Association (NRA) and gun lobbyists.
The Black lawmaker said that there was a problem in Nashville that authorities needed to address, arguing that opposing individuals' allegiance was to the way things were in the past. He claims that they were more focused on business as usual and on the NRA, said CNN.