NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Nashville Metro Council voted Monday evening to reinstate Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) as its interim representative days after Tennessee House Republicans voted to expel him.
Jones spoke shortly after Rep. Antonio Parkinson (D-Memphis) welcomed him back into the chamber Monday night. Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) warned the audience on the floor balcony a couple of times after they cheered loudly.
"I want to welcome the people back to the people's house. I want to welcome democracy back to the people's house," Jones said. "No unjust attack on democracy will happen unchallenged."
Jones and Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) were expelled from their House seats on Thursday for demonstrating on the House floor and calling for gun reform in response to The Covenant School shooting in Nashville. Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) was also up for expulsion but kept her seat after some Republicans voted against the resolution.
Sexton said Monday that he would seat the chosen interim representatives "as the constitution requires."
"The two governing bodies will make the decision as to who they want to appoint to these seats. Those two individuals will be seated as representatives as the constitution requires," Sexton's office said.
No other nominations were presented for an interim representative Monday. Councilmembers said the expulsion vote was a "miscarriage of justice."
"With this vote to reinstate Representative Jones, we are restoring the political voice of the 70,000 people of District 52," Councilmember Delishia Porterfield said. "Our community members are more than capable of selecting their representative and their will should have never been undermined."
Loud cheers erupted after the motion to reseat Jones passed 36-0. Four members of the council were absent from the vote: Vice Mayor Jim Shulman, District 1's Jonathan Hall, District 4's Robert Swope, and District 26's Courtney Johnston.
Jones would need to win the special election to formally return to his seat for the rest of his two-year term, which began in Jan. 2023.
Lawmakers in the Memphis area will soon hold a special session to vote on reappointing Pearson to his seat in the interim. Shelby County Commissioner Mickell Lowery said they will hold the special session on Wednesday, April 12, at 1:30 p.m. CDT.
"I believe the expulsion of State Representative Justin Pearson was conducted in a hasty manner without consideration of other corrective action methods," Lowery said. "I also believe that the ramifications for our great State are still yet to be seen."