Tennessee lawmaker Justin Pearson reinstated after explusion

Justin Pearson, the second of two Tennessee lawmakers expelled from the state legislature after leading a gun control protest on the chamber floor, has been reinstated.

Justin Pearson reinstated

Pearson, 29, regained his seat to House District 86 after an unanimous vote from seven members of the Shelby County Board of Commissioners.

His colleague Justin Jones, 27, was also unanimously voted back to the Tennessee House of Representatives on Monday.

Last week, Republican Tennessee House reps expelled Pearson and Jones. The rare expulsion vote came just days after a school shooting in Nashville that left six dead.

Statement

After Wednesday’s vote, Pearson addressed the crowd, saying:

“You can’t expel hope. You can’t expel justice. You can’t expel our voice. And you sure can’t expel our fight. We look forward to continuing to fight.”

Pearson and Jones will serve as interim representatives.

Tennessee law allows local legislative bodies to appoint interim House members to fill the seats of expelled lawmakers until an election is held

Special elections will occur in the coming months – and both lawmakers said they plan to run.