Tennessee Rep Reinstated After Expulsion Over Gun Control Protest

Their impeachment was widely criticized by leaders across the country, including President Joe Biden, who tweeted: “The expulsion of lawmakers who participated in peaceful protests is shocking, undemocratic and unprecedented. » Expulsions have previously been used to remove members accused of serious offenses, such as soliciting a bribe or committing sexual misconduct.

Although House Speaker Cameron Sexton, who leads the large Republican majority, attempted to compare the lawmakers’ actions to those of the Jan. 6 rioters at the U.S. Capitol, no protesters broke into the building , damaged property or been arrested. Unlike the 2021 insurrection in Washington, D.C., protesters were allowed into the building after passing a security check, the Tennessean reported.

Before Jones’ reappointment, Doug Kufner, a spokesperson for Sexton, said in a statement provided to BuzzFeed News that whoever is appointed to the vacant positions by the Nashville and Shelby county governments “will serve as representatives as the demands the constitution.”