Justin Pearson reappointed to Tennessee House following expulsion


Justin Pearson, one of the Democratic lawmakers expelled from the Tennessee House last week for leading a gun-control protest, was reappointed to his seat on Wednesday.
The Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously for him to return to the office on an interim basis. Board officials said they received thousands of phone calls and emails about Pearson, encouraging them to reappoint him to his seat, and during Wednesday's meeting, Commissioner Shante Avant commended Pearson, saying he stood up "for the things that matter to the people of Shelby County and the state of Tennessee. You have done well by us in making sure that our voices can be heard."
On March 30, Pearson and two Democratic colleagues, state Reps. Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson, participated in a protest on the House floor, calling for stricter gun laws in the wake of the mass shooting at Nashville's Covenant School. Three Republican lawmakers filed resolutions to expel Pearson, Jones, and Johnson, saying they engaged in "disorderly behavior" that brought "disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives through their individual and collective actions."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On April 6, the GOP-controlled House expelled Pearson and Jones, while the vote to expel Johnson failed. Pearson and Jones are Black, and Johnson, who is white, told reporters she thinks the different outcomes "might have to do with the color of our skin."
Pearson's reappointment to the House comes two days after the Nashville Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Jones on an interim basis. Special elections will be held later this year to fill the seats, and both Jones and Pearson have said they will run.
Speaking to supporters on Wednesday, Pearson declared, "You cannot expel hope. You can't expel our voice and you sure can't expel our fight. We look forward to continuing to fight, continuing to advocate."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Jessica Francis Kane's 6 favorite books that prove less is more
Feature The author recommends works by Penelope Fitzgerald, Marie-Helene Bertino, and more
-
Trump's drug war is now a real shooting war
Talking Points The Venezuela boat strike was 'not a mere law enforcement action'
-
Book reviews: 'Baldwin: A Love Story' and 'The Fort Bragg Cartel: Drug Trafficking and Murder in the Special Forces'
Feature A loving James Baldwin biography and the drug crimes of two special ops veterans
-
House posts lewd Epstein note attributed to Trump
Speed Read The estate of Jeffrey Epstein turned over the infamous 2003 birthday note from President Donald Trump
-
Supreme Court allows 'roving' race-tied ICE raids
Speed Read The court paused a federal judge's order barring agents from detaining suspected undocumented immigrants in LA based on race
-
South Korea to fetch workers detained in Georgia raid
Speed Read More than 300 South Korean workers detained in an immigration raid at a Hyundai plant will be released
-
DC sues Trump to end Guard 'occupation'
Speed Read D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues that the unsolicited military presence violates the law
-
RFK Jr. faces bipartisan heat in Senate hearing
Speed Read The health secretary defended his leadership amid CDC turmoil and deflected questions about the restricted availability of vaccines
-
White House defends boat strike as legal doubts mount
Speed Read Experts say there was no legal justification for killing 11 alleged drug-traffickers
-
Epstein accusers urge full file release, hint at own list
speed read A rally was organized by Reps. Ro Khanna and Thomas Massie, who are hoping to force a vote on their Epstein Files Transparency Act
-
Court hands Harvard a win in Trump funding battle
Speed Read The Trump administration was ordered to restore Harvard's $2 billion in research grants