A council in the Nashville area of Tennessee unanimously voted to reinstate Democratic state lawmaker Justin Jones in the state house. Jones was expelled by the Republican-controlled state legislature for participating in protests against gun violence on the House floor.
On Monday, the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted unanimously to reinstate Jones, who was expelled by the Republican state supermajority along with another Black Democratic lawmaker Justin Pearson, over the demonstrations on the House floor. Jones and Pearson were expelled on Thursday last week, while fellow Democratic lawmaker Gloria Johnson, who is white, was spared from expulsion by one vote.
Pearson may get a similar reinstatement later in the week when the Shelby County Board of Commissioners will consider reappointing him to his district in Memphis. County legislatures have the authority to fill local vacancies in the state legislature until special elections can be held for the rest of the two-year term. Memphis and Nashville are heavily Democratic areas of the state.
Jones and Pearson have said they would run again in the special elections.
The vote by the Metropolitan Council was also attended by around 600 protesters who support Jones, who was accompanied by Johnson back to the state house after being sworn in and while the House was in session. Ahead of the vote by the council, Jones accused the GOP of using “plantation politics” and abuse of power.
“Thank you, it’s because it’s galvanized a nationwide movement,” said Jones. “The world is watching Tennessee.”
Amidst the reinstatement of Jones to the Tennessee statehouse, police in Louisville, Kentucky, said a bank employee opened fire and fatally shot five of his colleagues and injured nine others while live streaming the event on social media. Police said the gunman was also fatally shot at the scene, but it was not determined whether the gunman shot himself or was shot by the police.
This marked the latest mass shooting that has taken place in the United States. The gunman was identified as Connor Sturgeon, who became a full-time employee of the downtown branch of the Old National Bank last year.