Tennessee state: Second congressman allowed back into parliament

Status: 04/13/2023 02:20 a.m

The second member of parliament expelled from the US state of Tennessee is also allowed to return to parliament. A committee voted to reinstate Democrat Pearson. The Republicans had ruled him out along with another Democrat.

After the unusual expulsion of two black MPs from the Tennessee state legislature, the second of the two is allowed to return to the House of Representatives.

A Shelby County district committee voted in a special session to temporarily reinstate 29-year-old Democrat Justin Pearson as a representative. Democrat Justin Jones returned to the Republican-led parliament on Monday. Both must now run again as MPs in a special election.

Republicans sanction protests against gun violence

Pearson and Jones’ exclusion by vote sparked national outrage last week. The two MPs had called for stricter gun laws at a demonstration in Parliament after three children and three adults were shot dead in a shooting spree at a Nashville elementary school in late March.

The Republicans accused the Democrats of bringing disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives and disrupting the work of the House of Representatives by their protest. A white MP, who was also to be expelled, narrowly survived the vote. As a result, accusations of racism were raised and protests broke out.

Expulsion an unusual process

“In Nashville, they thought they could silence democracy. But what they didn’t know was that the Shelby County committee has some brave leaders,” Pearson said after the decision. “You can’t kick out hope. You can’t kick out justice. You can’t kick out our voice.”

The whole process in the Tennessee House of Representatives is very unusual. In many states there is the possibility of expelling deputies. However, this approach is not the political norm and is not usually used as a weapon against political opponents.

The expulsion made headlines in the US for days. US media celebrated Jones and Pearson as new political stars. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris campaigned for the young MPs, as did ex-US President Barack Obama.

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