The Nashville’s Metro Council voted unanimously to reinstate Democratic lawmaker Justin Jones back to his old seat four days after Tennessee House Republicans expelled Jones for participating in a gun control protest.
“Nashville’s council agreed with a 36-0 vote,” according to Axios. “They acted quickly to reinstate him as the District 52 representative — many had said their urgency was informed by overwhelming outrage among their constituents.”
Jones was reinstated and the meeting was over in a matter of minutes.
“The people made a choice and it was the right choice,” Porterfield said.
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Council member Delishia Porterfield, Jones’ one-time opponent who lost against him in the Democratic primary last year, stood Monday to urge her colleagues to support him now.
Jones has emerged as a national figure at the center of passionate debates over gun violence, racial bias and democratic norms.
He and two of his colleagues, Reps. Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, marched to the House podium on March 30 to lead chants calling for gun reforms following the mass shooting at The Covenant School that killed six people, including three 9-year-olds.. The demonstration briefly sidelined the House agenda.
Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton condemned their actions, saying they had violated House rules and decorum. The trio, also known as the Tennessee Three, lost their committee assignments, and their access to legislative facilities was limited.
Leaders from Nashville Mayor John Cooper to President Biden said Jones’ expulsion wrongly subverted the will of the voters who elected him.
