A Tennessee politician who narrowly escaped being expelled from the legislature while her two black colleagues were kicked out said she was saved because she is white.
Gloria Johnson, 60, who represents Knoxville, staged a noisy protests on March 30 to demand tougher gun control, after the March 27 murder of three students and three staff members at a Nashville school.
Johnson was accompanied by two fellow Democrats – Justin Johnson and Justin Pearson, both 27.
The trio were prevented from speaking, so used a bullhorn on the floor of the House demanding to be heard.
Their Republican colleagues were furious, and on Thursday voted to expel Johnson and Pearson from the house – a move only carried out twice previously since the Civil War.
Johnson, asked why she was spared, told reporters that it ‘might have to do with the color of my skin.’
Joe Biden called the vote ‘shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent’.
Gloria Johnson, 60, representing Knoxville, is seen standing with Johnson and Pearson. She was spared expulsion, while the two 27-year-old black men were kicked out
Justin Jones (left), a Democrat representing Nashville, and Justin Pearson (right), who represents Memphis, were both expelled on Thursday – a week after the two 27-year-olds joined Rep. Gloria Johnson in a protest over gun laws on the House floor
Justin Jones is seen speaking to reporters shortly after the vote to expel him from the House of Representatives in Tennessee, as a punishment for his participation in a March 30 protest
Jones said after the vote that it showed Tennessee was ‘on a path toward authoritarianism’, and his lawyers were analyzing whether the expulsion vote was legal.
‘This should sound the alarm across the nation, that we are entering some very dangerous territory,’ he said.
He said that the three ‘are in this together’, and he was heading to the public gallery to support the other two as he is no longer allowed to enter the House floor.
Jones said: ‘We are multiracial, intergenerational – we represent Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville. We stand united.
‘Because this is not the end.
‘But if we don’t act, we lose our democracy. Today was a signal that we have lost democracy in Tennessee and we are on a path toward authoritarianism, to be quite honest.’
He said he was not sure if he would run for office again, but would ‘stand with the people’, and added: ‘We were saying, let’s pass an assault weapons ban. And they assaulted democracy.’
He said expelling him from the House was ‘unconstitutional’, and said he is consulting his legal advisers for the next steps.
The House was shown video of the March 30 demonstration, with the three Democrats joined by protestors.
They used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform, and as a result were accused of ‘disorderly behavior’ in the Tennessee House of Representatives.
The three Democrats raised their fists in the air as video of the disruption played, during the vote to expel them. Cheers and applause were also heard as the video played.
All three progressive representatives were seen speaking with one another as the short clip ended.
Tennessee State Troopers blocked the stairwell leading to the legislative chambers on Thursday
Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson and Justin Jones link arms as they walk in the State House
Heavy security was present as the vote was held.
Tennessee Republicans accused the protestors and the Democratic House members of disruption when they interrupted House proceedings March 30.
The resolution to expel the lawmakers says that they brought: ‘disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions.’
The trio had joined hundreds of protestors who marched to the State Capitol last week calling for stricter gun laws.
Six people, including three nine-year-old children, were killed when Nashville shooter Audrey Hale opened fire at The Covenant School on March 27.
Three adults – Cynthia Peak, 61, Katherine Koonce, 60, and Michael Hill, 61 – were killed, along with three nine-year-old students: Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.
Hundreds of people invaded the Capitol on March 30, demanding that the Republican-led Statehouse pass gun control measures.
House leadership later described it as an ‘insurrection,’ aping language used around the attack on the U.S. Capitol by Donald Trump’s supporters in January 2021.
Protestors and Democrats accused of ‘disorderly behavior’ in the Tennessee House of Representatives salute with their fists in the air as video of ‘disruption’ is played during vote to expel the three members
Footage from the House floor showed protestors, Democratic members – Reps. Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson – all saluting in support of their behavior when they used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform last week
Heavy security was present at the House of Representatives in Tennessee as they prepare to vote on a resolution filed by Republican leadership to expel three Democratic leaders for ‘disorderly behavior’
Protesters gathered calling for the ban of ‘assault weapons’ as the House of Reps. prepared to vote
Jones and Johnson were stripped of their committee assignments in the aftermath by Republican leadership.
Pearson, however, did not serve on a committee.
Expulsion votes are rare and in Tennessee.
The House of Representatives has only voted to expel a member twice since the Civil War.
One vote was to expel a sitting lawmaker who was convicted of soliciting a bribe, and another for a majority whip who was facing allegations of sexual misconduct.
Two-thirds of the House needed to vote in favor of the expulsion in order for it to pass.
Tennessee State Troopers stand guard at the outside the House chamber
Rep. Justin Jones speaks at the statehouse, as Republicans who control the Tennessee House of Representatives prepare to vote on whether to expel him and two others
Rep. Justin Pearson gestures while entering the statehouse on Thursday
A demonstrator holds a placard while protesters gather ahead of the Republican vote to expel three Democratic members
On Monday, three Republicans filed resolutions that the three Democrats be expelled and they successfully asked for an expedited process with a vote Thursday.
The resolutions claim the three ‘did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives,’ according to the Tennesseean newspaper.
The result was fresh chaos on Monday when the first resolution, targeting Pearson, was introduced.
Protesters shouted from the galleries and Pearson raised his fist in salute, while other Democrats raised their hands to object.
Members of the public chanted: ‘Fascists! Fascists!’ and wagged their fingers and fists at members.
Instead of taking a vote, the speaker called for state troopers to clear the House galleries.
On Monday, Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson used a bullhorn to lead supporters in the public gallery in chants for gun reform as they face expulsion
Johnson with protesters inside the state Capitol building last week demanding gun reform
Protestors last week as they gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol Building to demand action from lawmakers on gun control after The Covenant School shooting
Johnson later said she would consider a lawsuit if expelled, saying their protest was constitutionally protected.
‘We’re going to push back, and we’re going to fight this because it’s unprecedented and utterly ridiculous,’ she told the Tennessean.
She accused Republicans of double standards.
‘We had a child molester on the floor for years, they helped him get reelected and did nothing to expel him,’ she added.
‘We’ve had members pee in each other’s chairs and nothing happened. But talk on the floor without permission, and you’ll get expelled.’
House Democrats said they stood behind the three.
Lawmakers leaving on Monday evening after protests in the chamber
‘The Democratic Caucus has unanimously, formally voted to oppose the baseless resolutions for expulsion and will zealously oppose them should they come up for a vote on the House floor,’ they said in a statement.
The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators also protested the resolutions.
‘This political retribution is unconstitutional and, in this moment, morally bankrupt,’ it said.
‘The people who elected us are calling for meaningful action to end gun violence and the people have a right to be heard through their duly elected representatives.’
Democrats and Republicans have strongly disagreed about how to respond to the Nashville massacre.
Biden reiterated his call for a ban on assault weapons.
Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, a Republican, proposed $155m to place an armed security guard at every public school in Tennessee and to boost security presence at both public and private schools.
