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nashville shooting
Days After Reinstatement, Justin Jones Files 'Protect Kids Not Guns Act'
"Action can't wait," said the Tennessee Democrat. "This comprehensive legislation will enact commonsense gun policies already working in other states to reduce gun deaths."
Apr 14, 2023
Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones on Thursday filed legislation that would impose stricter regulations on firearm and ammunition ownership, upholding his vow to continue fighting for gun control following the Republican vote to expel him from his seat.
Jones, who was unanimously reinstated by the Nashville Metropolitan Council on Monday, said he introduced the "Protect Kids Not Guns Act" alongside Democratic state Sen. Charlane Oliver "because action can't wait."
"This comprehensive legislation will enact commonsense gun policies already working in other states to reduce gun deaths and make it harder for everyday people to possess military-grade assault weapons," Jones wrote on Twitter.
The legislation comes after Jones and fellow Democratic Rep. Justin Pearson—who was also expelled and subsequently reinstated—showed solidarity with Tennesseans who gathered inside the state House chamber late last month to demand action against gun violence following a deadly mass shooting in Nashville.
The Newtown Action Alliance, a group formed in the wake of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, applauded Jones and Oliver for "honoring the Covenant School victims with action."
\u201cFiled the \u201cProtect Kids Not Guns Act\u201d today because action can\u2019t wait. This comprehensive legislation will enact common sense gun policies already working in other states to reduce gun deaths and make it harder for everyday people to possess military-grade assault weapons.\u201d— Rep. Justin Jones (@Rep. Justin Jones) 1681434532
Jones and Oliver's bill would, among other changes, ban the possession of large-capacity magazine, defined as "an ammunition-feeding device with capacity to accept more than 10 rounds." The Nashville shooter, who killed three young children and three adults at a Nashville Christian school last month, fired more than 150 rounds in a matter of minutes.
The new legislation would also add restrictions on who can sell guns and require that Tennesseans under an extreme risk protection order—meaning they're deemed a threat to themselves or others—immediately surrender all firearms and ammunition in their possession as well as any handgun carry permit to Tennessee authorities.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, indicated earlier this week that he broadly supports the latter change, asking state legislators to "bring forward an order of protection law."
"A new, strong order of protection law will provide the broader population cover, safety, from those who are a danger to themselves or the population," Lee said.
It's far from clear, however, that the Republican-dominated Legislature will act on the governor's request, let alone approve gun control measures proposed by Jones, Oliver, and other Democratic lawmakers.
As The Tennessean noted on Tuesday: "Republican lawmakers in recent years have broadened access to firearms. Some Republicans this session attempted to expand a permit-less carry measure to long guns prior to the Covenant shooting, a move sharply criticized by Democrats."
"Democrats announced a legislative slate on April 5 in response to the Covenant shooting," the newspaper reported. "The Democratic legislation includes a proposed ban on bump stock conversion kits and high-capacity magazines... Senate Bill 1564 would allow family members and law enforcement to petition a civil court for an extreme risk protection order, which would allow law enforcement to temporarily remove weapons from a person deemed a risk to themselves or others."
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'A Very Dark Day for Tennessee': House GOP Expels Democrats Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson
Jones warned just before the vote that expelling him "will signal to the nation that there is no democracy in this state" and "if it can happen here in Tennessee, it's coming to your state next."
Apr 06, 2023
Republicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives on Thursday voted to expel Reps. Justin Jones and Justin J. Pearson, two of three Democrats who recently interrupted a floor session with chants for gun control in the wake of the deadly Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
"This is a historic day for Tennessee, but... it may mark a very dark day for Tennessee because it will signal to the nation that there is no democracy in this state," Jones (D-52) said just before he was officially ousted in a 72-25 vote by the Republican-controlled chamber. "It will signal to the nation that if it can happen here in Tennessee, it's coming to your state next—and that is why the nation is watching us, what we do here."
"What happened today in Tennessee is a disgrace. Overturning the will of voters because you disagree with the representatives they have elected is disenfranchisement plain and simple."
After ousting Jones, the Tennessee House GOP moved on to the resolution targeting Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-13), who is white. That vote was 65-30, falling short of the two-thirds majority required to expel her. Republicans then turned to the measure to force out Pearson (D-86).
In the vote against Pearson, who like Jones is Black, the result was 69-26 in favor of removal and his seat was taken.
\u201cTennessee Republicans fail to expel Tennessee Rep. Gloria Johnson. \n\nSo, it looks like the only two people being expelled today will be the two Black guys. How predictable.\u201d— Keith Boykin (@Keith Boykin) 1680819596
Asked by reporters after her vote why she was spared expulsion while Jones was not, Johnson responded: "I'll answer your question; it might have to do with the color of our skin."
In the wake of Thursday's three expulsion votes, Stand Up America's executive director Christina Harvey said: "What happened today in Tennessee is a disgrace. Overturning the will of voters because you disagree with the representatives they have elected is disenfranchisement plain and simple."
"In a democracy," Harvey continued, "no leader should be removed from office for standing up for their constituents, especially in the wake of tragedy. This political stunt sets a dangerous precedent, leaving over 135,000 Tennessee residents, many of whom are Black, without any representation in the state House until new members are appointed or elected. The MAGA legislators who perpetrated this injustice are unworthy of calling themselves public servants."
During the proceedings, all three Democrats were given an initial 20 minutes to defend themselves against the Republican expulsion resolutions, which were followed by questions from other lawmakers and closing remarks.
"What we see today is a lynch mob assembled to not lynch me but our democratic process."
The room was "silent as Jones took the podium, but just outside the chamber doors, a crowd of protestors screamed cheers of support," The Tennessean reports. "As Jones spoke in his own defense, they began chanting: 'Go Justin go!'"
Protesters who gathered at the Tennessee State Capitol in support of Jones, Johnson, and Pearson could sometimes be heard throughout the proceedings.
Watch the proceedings:
"The world is watching Tennessee," Jones said on the floor, "because what is happening here today is a farce of democracy."
"What we see today is just a spectacle," he continued, noting that Republicans have already signaled their intention to expel them. "What we see today is a lynch mob assembled to not lynch me but our democratic process. But it will not stand."
\u201c\u201cMr. Speaker, how can you bring dishonor to an already dishonorable House?"\n\n\u2014 Tennessee State Rep. @brotherjones_ (D), ahead of an expulsion vote against him and two other members for protesting gun violence on the House floor\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1680808444
Directly addressing the Republicans advocating expulsion, Jones declared that "we called for you all to ban assault weapons, and you respond with an assault on democracy. That is why the nation is watching you today."
"This is not about expelling us as individuals," he stressed, pointing to public demands for gun control. "This is your attempt to expel the voice of the people from the people's House, and it will not be successful."
\u201cThe Tennessee State House has expelled only two legislators since the Civil War: in 1980, after a state representative was found guilty of accepting a bribe while in office, and in 2016, when a lawmaker faced allegations of sexual harassment. https://t.co/TTB1w5JSQh\u201d— The Recount (@The Recount) 1680802990
The GOP effort the expel the trio has been condemned across Tennessee and the United States, with hundreds of legislators from other states, national rights leaders, and even the White House denouncing the campaign as undemocratic.
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Nearly 270 State Lawmakers Denounce 'Anti-Democratic' Expulsion Effort by Tennessee GOP
"There is nothing 'disorderly' about courageously standing in solidarity with the people we are elected to serve, in opposition to the gun lobby that continues to profiteer off of an epidemic they have fueled," reads a letter signed by 267 lawmakers.
Apr 06, 2023
Lawmakers from 35 states on Thursday signed a letter condemning the Tennessee Republican Party as it prepared to expel three Democratic representatives who joined a protest demanding gun control legislation in the State Capitol, with the letter accusing the state GOP of racist and "anti-democratic" conduct.
Tennessee Reps. Gloria Johnson (D-13), Justin Jones (D-52), and Justin Pearson (D-86) joined Nashville students and their supporters on Monday as they poured into the Capitol building, demanding that lawmakers ban weapons like the ones used in a mass shooting at a Christian school in the city last week, which killed three children and three adults, and pass other broadly popular gun control legislation.
Republicans have accused the three Democrats of bringing "disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives" by speaking without recognition during a protest on the chamber's floor last week, a technical violation of the House rules, and of taking part in an "insurrection."
"There is nothing 'disorderly' about courageously standing in solidarity with the people we are elected to serve, in opposition to the gun lobby that continues to profiteer off of an epidemic they have fueled," reads the letter. "The Tennessee State Capitol is the people's house, and Representatives Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson exemplified leadership on the House floor this week by standing up for what's right. Any attempts to silence these elected leaders for exercising their constitutional right to protest are anti-democratic."
\u201cRead the full letter, signed by 200+ state legislators in support of the Tennessee 3 https://t.co/eVxxqogL6a\u201d— State Innovation Exchange (SiX) (@State Innovation Exchange (SiX)) 1680779651
The Republicans passed three resolutions to hold votes on expelling the lawmakers on Monday, with each passing 72-23 on a party line vote. The vote on expulsion is expected to take place Thursday.
The letter, organized by the State Innovation Exchange (SiX), accused the GOP of exemplifying the "robust and racist connection between fighting against gun safety and dismantling our democracy." Pearson and Jones are Black, and the lawmakers pointed out that people of color are disproportionately impacted by gun violence in the United States.
"Let's be clear, the vote to expel Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones, and Justin Pearson is just another anti-democratic effort to silence the American people for speaking out against the devastating consequences of gun violence," said Neha Patel, co-executive director of SiX. "Calling for gun safety within the people's house is an example of our democracy in action, expelling lawmakers for standing for what they believe in is not."
"Gun violence impacts all of us, especially the Black and brown communities many legislators in Tennessee represent," she added. "Ultimately, these kinds of actions present clear and present danger to our country and our democracy, and we must not allow it."
March for Our Lives, the national group that was formed in 2018 by survivors of the Parkland, Florida school shooting, announced it would hold a rally outside the State Capitol on Thursday in support of the Johnson, Jones, and Pearson.
\u201c\u203c\ufe0f\u26a0\ufe0f IMMEDIATE CALL TO ACTION IN TENNESSEE\u26a0\ufe0f\u203c\ufe0f \n\nThe TN legislature is slated to expel three members for peacefully protesting with gun control advocates just days after a mass shooting. \n\nWe need people at the Capitol making their voices heard. \n\nCALL, EMAIL, SHOW UP.\u201d— Olivia Julianna \ud83d\uddf3 (@Olivia Julianna \ud83d\uddf3) 1680741064
"We will not be silenced or intimidated," said advocacy group Gen Z for Change, addressing state Republicans. "As elected officials, your power is derived from the people and we will make it painfully obvious when you decide to work against us."
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