NBC News reports on the shocking expulsion of two Black Democratic lawmakers by the GOP supermajority Tennessee House of Representatives yesterday, while the vote to expel a third white woman representative narrowly failed:
Republican legislators in Tennessee voted Thursday to expel two Black Democrats from the state House over their protests on the chamber floor against gun violence last week, while a vote to expel a third, white Democratic representative fell short.
In the first vote, Republicans expelled Rep. Justin Jones. The second vote, to kick out Rep. Gloria Johnson, failed. Republicans then voted to remove Rep. Justin Pearson…
The resolutions accused each of the Democratic legislators of engaging in “disorderly behavior” and purposely bringing “disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives” during protests against gun violence on the House floor last week.
A mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school on March 27th resulted in a student walkout and protest at the Tennesee State Capitol similar to what we’ve seen in Colorado with East High School’s series of protest marches, during which three Democratic representatives cheered on the student protesters in the House gallery and even led a chant from the House floor at the height of the student protest. At most this might be considered a minor breach of decorum, punishable by a lecture. As Colorado knows from the most recent example of expelled state Rep. Steve Lebsock in 2018 over sexual harassment allegations, overriding the will of voters and removing a member is a penalty that’s supposed to be reserved for serious cases of misconduct.
As of yesterday in Tennessee, it’s a means of silencing political opposition. The optics of this are made immeasurably worse by the sparing of the white woman representative targeted for expulsion by a single vote, which removed the only pretense Republicans could cling to besides down-home Tennessee racism. In Colorado, where Democrats enjoy the same supermajority power, this would be like expelling Rep. Scott “There Is No” Bottoms over his deplorable rhetoric during dozens of obstructionist filibusters this session. We know it’s tempting, but that’s not what expulsion is for either.
Politically, this arrogant abuse of power by Tennessee Republicans seems very likely to backfire, greatly increasing the profile of these two expelled lawmakers who now have the option of winning back their seats in a special election–or moving on to something bigger and better now that they’re nationwide heroes.
Momentary satisfaction will give way to the realization that Tennessee Republicans made a huge mistake.
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I read that Tennessee have a similar vacancy committee for replacing a departed member. Also, there is nothing precluding the two expelled lawmakers for being candidates to fill the vacancies. I get the impression that in at least one, if not both of these lawmakers might be reappointed as their own replacements.
It would make it funny. Like them flipping the bird to the Republicans who ousted them.
Precisely. Not only do they have a vacancy committee process similar to Colorado's but they also will have the schedule a special election to select a permanent replacement. That cost money. And the two expelled members can and should run for their seats.
Doing symbolic but meaningless gestures to appease the base is not something on which the left alone has a monopoly.
If the asshole Republicans in the TN legislature had given this some thought, they would have come up with a pretext to expel members from swing districts – assuming, of course, that there are any.
I hope these three become even bigger superstars for standing up for what is right. God bless them – they are a reason to be proud of Tennessee!
I'm not sure that there is any reason to be proud of TN. Well, maybe Dolly Parton, but that's about it.
Setting aside the completely shameful behavior of the Tennessee State Legislature, hiking in the Smoky Mountains is pretty spectacular.
Fair enough. That makes two.
Amen to that. Here's hoping those dumbfuck TN wingnuts Streisand Effect these folks all the way to massive national prominence and influence.
Julie McCluskie take note. The next time one of the 19 GOP assholes in the CO House starts brandishing his or her AR-15 in violation of any firearms laws, the 46 Dems need to introduce an expulsion resolution.
Because criminal conduct is worse than violating the decorum of the chamber.
Clearly, Tennessee has a deep-seated, reprehensible prejudice against . . . people named Justin.
Slightly more seriously, there may not be anyone with less power than a state legislator in the (super)minority. All they could do was make floor speeches no one listened to. Now, they have a national profile and platform. Given the background here, the Republicans "shot themselves in the foot" may be tone-deaf, but I am going with it anyway.
How long before a prominent Republican says a racist thing about this?
If we can get through the weekend without someone making this worse, I'll be surprised.
I suggest the Department of Justice investigate this as violating the Guarantee Clause
On Bothsiderism from Kate Riga at TPM
Incidentally, this week is TPM’s membership drive. The other important, independent news site worthy of direct support is the Colorado SUn.
Y'all this act of the Tennessee legislators was strictly racist. There is no way to bounce around that as the first fact. The second is they are from the two "liberal" cities of the state. One of the cities, I can't remember which one, is being attacked by the legislature to reduce and remake the city council. It would be like if the Colorado assmebly was reversed and the legislators decided to take over Denver and change how it is run.
So that means one of the two men tossed from the legislature for being too uppity and speaking when the white men did not want them to is also in a district that is being changed and the case in in court.
This was a racist attack and a way to change the voters for at least one of them to continue the gqp gerrymandering of the state.
Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi form the solid remains of the old south, slavery is them. Why would MS with a major Black population nothave a majority Black legislature? Because it is gerrymandered to hell and back.
All that aside, it is important to know and understand, it was not some simple "decorum" thing. It was blatant racisim in the South.
Also, one of the good legislators of Tennessee wants to bring back lynching.
“One of the cities, I can’t remember which one, is being attacked by the legislature to reduce and remake the city council.“
It’s Nashville, Pam.
https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2023/04/04/judges-consider-halting-new-law-that-would-shrink-nashville-council/70078504007/
Just as pardoning Nixon by Gerald Ford enabled Roger Ailes/FOX, Trump, right wing am radio, and on and on even more critical the allowance of Jim Crow post US reconstruction failure makes the dirt bag Jebus with a AR15 never served in combat POS current GOP to try again. Nutting these people is the only way to stop US fascism once and for all.