The Tennessee lawmakers who were expelled by Republicans for their involvement in a gun control protest on the House floor are set to reclaim their legislative seats on Thursday.
The Democrats, Reps. Justin Pearson and Justin Jones, have been hailed as heroes and members of the "Tennessee Three." The young, Black lawmakers were recently reinstated, but only on an interim basis.
The Tennessee Three
The two lawmakers advanced on Thursday through a special election that was held that resulted in them fully reclaiming their positions. They both faced opponents in districts that heavily favored Democrats.
Jones, who is from Nashville, was up against GOP candidate Laura Nelson while Pearson, who is from Memphis, was up against independent candidate Jeff Johnston. In a Twitter post earlier this month, Pearson said that they wanted to send a message to anyone who thought that their voices can be silenced. He added that no one can expel a movement, as per the Associated Press.
The election on Thursday came as lawmakers are preparing to come back to Nashville later this month for a special session that would address the possibility of changing the state's gun control legislation. While the two Black lawmakers' re-election is not expected to make a significant dent in the GOP supermajority in the Legislature, they would most likely oppose Republican-led policies.
Since the two Tennessee lawmakers were elected, they had a relatively quiet political career until they joined Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson in the gun control protest on the House floor. It took place only a few days after a fatal shooting occurred in Nashville at a private Christian school.
In the incident, a shooter killed three children and three adults, causing thousands of protesters to flood the Capitol building demanding some form of restriction on firearms. The three lawmakers then approached the front of the House chamber carrying a bullhorn and joined demonstrators in chanting and crying for action.
United States President Joe Biden's administration also condemned the expulsion of the three lawmakers, calling the decision "undemocratic" and simply an effort to "punish, silence, and expel duly elected representatives," according to Fox News.
Nashville Shooting
Johnson was able to narrowly avoid being expelled from the House, which argued that it was only because she was White. On the other hand, State House Republicans vehemently denied that the lawmakers' race played a factor during their hearings.
The fatal shooting in Nashville was conducted by 28-year-old transgender activist and former student Audrey Hale. Authorities said that the suspect used two semi-automatic rifles and a handgun in the horrific attack. Police later fatally shot the shooter within minutes of arriving at the campus.
But even after four months after that tragic tale, officials are still unclear about the true motive behind the attack. On Wednesday, Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy came to Nashville to urge Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, Nashville police, and the FBI to release the shooter's manifesto.
However, parents and members of the Nashville community are trying to stop the release of Hale's writings. The executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, Deborah Fisher, said that if successful, the move would become unprecedented and could have bigger implications moving forward, said the New York Post.
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