Expelled Lawmakers Get Their Positions Back?

Photo by Joakim Honkasalo on Unsplash

(TargetLiberty.org) – On Thursday, the Republican-controlled Tennessee House of Representatives chose to expel two state lawmakers over their participation in the recent protests calling for stricter gun control following the school shooting at a Private Christian school in Tennessee. Both of the Representatives promised that they were going to return to their old seats.

Democratic Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones (Nashville) and Rep. Justin Pearson (Memphis) have both said that they were going to participate in the special elections for their seats. If they win the election, they could end up returning to their seats before their respective city council could move to appoint them on an interim basis.

On Sunday when asked on NBC’s “Meet the Press” whether he would consider a reappointment and whether he would consider running in a special election, Jones said, “yes and yes.”

Pearson similarly stated that he would be “honored” to take up his appointment again and run in a special election for his seat. As he added he has already heard that “people in the state legislature and in Nashville are actually threatening” commissioners in his county to not allow his reappointment. However, Pearson stated that what they have to understand is that “the power structure in the state of Tennessee is always wielding against the minority party and people.”

While it is not yet clear what route the county councils will use to pick replacements or when the special elections could happen, both counties seem to be determined to move swiftly in this case.

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