Tennessee state Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) was reportedly reinstated to the House of Representatives after being expelled this year.
Days after Jones was expelled from the House for joining a state capitol protest against gun violence, Jones has retaken his oath of office.
The controversy arose after the Nashville Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Jones on Monday afternoon after the House of Representatives voted to expel him and his colleague Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis).
However, he was reinstated and sworn in on the steps of the state capitol and while doing so, he was met with a crowd of supporters who gathered around him and cheered.
According to The Hill, “Jones, who was the only nominee for the district’s open seat, received unanimous support from the council, with all 36 members voting to reappoint him as an interim representative for the 52nd District. As the clerk read the 36 years, the council burst into cheers and applause.”
That feeling when 6 Christians died from a trans terrorist but at least you got famous off it and can be on Good Morning America. pic.twitter.com/qEglveBSA3— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) April 10, 2023
Moreover, just moments after he was reinstated, Jones once again joined a group of protesters who reportedly showed up to support him while marching back to the Tennessee state capitol to take his oath.
Last week, both Pearson and Jones were expelled after they participated in a protest, calling for gun reform on the House floor in wake of the recent mass shooting at the private Covenant School in Nashville that killed three 9-year-old children and three faculty members.
The House argued that the three lawmakers “knowingly and intentionally” brought “disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”
In response, “Democrats across the nation voiced their support for the lawmakers, who have since become known as the Tennessee Three. Vice President Harris traveled to Tennessee last week in support of the trio, while several other leaders pointed to the racial undertones of Jones’s and Pearson’s expulsion,” The Hill reported.
Meanwhile, Jones argued that his race has played a massive role in his removal from the state House.
“I basically had a member call me an uppity Negro,” Jones alleged.
“To those who here will cast a vote for expulsion, I was fighting for your children, too, to live free from the terror of school shootings. If I’m expelled from here, I’ll be back out there with the people every week demanding that you act. If you expel me, I will continue to show up because this issue is too important.” Jones added.
