KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Thursday, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee voted to expel two Democratic lawmakers after they approached the "well" in the House of Representatives during a protest.
Demonstrators were calling for gun restrictions after a school shooting in Nashville killed three children and three adults, as well as the shooter. Rep. Gloria Johnson (D - Knoxville), Rep. Justin Pearson (D - Memphis) and Rep. Justin Jones (D - Nashville) approached the podium in the chamber to speak.
Jones spoke to the General Assembly and said that he and Pearson spoke with a bullhorn on the House floor in response to microphones being cut off during legislative meetings in the past. Johnson said that she did not speak. Instead, she just joined them as they walked up and then stood by their side.
She kept her seat after the vote to expel her failed to get a two-thirds vote. The other two lawmakers were expelled.
"This is a real embarrassment for our state. This is a supermajority, and the optics of it are terrible — taking out two, young, Black men who are legislators in Tennessee and attacking a woman. Gloria did do a good job, but the republicans are going to say, 'Oh, we distinguished her not because she is the white woman, but because factually, she is a little different," said Don Bosch, who regularly appears on Inside Tennessee, WBIR's political commentary show on local and state politics.
The Knox County delegation mostly voted to expel Rep. Johnson, except for Representative Sam McKenzie (D - Knoxville). Two East Tennessee lawmakers also voted against expelling her — Representative Lowell Russell (R - Vonore) and Representative Brian Richey (R - Blount County).
"This is a terrible look for our state, and it's really added rocket fuel to the democratic party and statewide efforts," said Bosch. "This is really going to hurt the Republicans. How much? We'll talk about that in two years."
Susan Williams also regularly appears on Inside Tennessee, speaking for the Republican side.
"I felt like they could have simply censured all three of them, I feel like that probably would have been a better political move, to be honest. I think Gloria Johnson made a very compelling argument from the well today," she said. "I think all three would have been reelected ... to me it's just a little bit going too far."