A Black lawmaker who was once expelled from the Tennesee House after protesting gun violence on the chamber floor has been stripped of a committee assignment.
On Thursday, Jan. 11, Democratic Rep. Justin Jones confirmed on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he had been booted from the House Education Admin Committee.
“Today the Speaker announced that I was stripped from being on House Education Admin Committee, as they prepare to push their unpopular school voucher program,” Jones (D) posted on X. “My Republican colleagues know voters do not want their ‘education for profit’ scheme and are trying to stifle dissent.”
The move comes after Tennesee House Republicans voted to expel Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson, both of whom are Black, for protesting gun violence on the chamber floor in the wake of a March shooting at Nashville’s The Covenant School. A third Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, also joined the protest but wasn’t expelled from the House.
Days after their expulsions, local government bodies voted to reinstate Jones and Pearson to their seats. However, under state law, both were required to run for their old seats in primary and general elections.
Jones and Pearson won their special elections to keep their state seats in August.
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