HR0189 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0189 LRB103 31839 MST 60467 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, On March 27, 2023, three children and three adults were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee; and

WHEREAS, The loss of lives spurred thousands of Tennesseeans to make their voices heard through protests at the Tennessee State Capitol, advocating for reform of laws governing firearm access and availability; and

WHEREAS, Channeling the voices of their constituents who were among those demonstrating, Reps. Justin Jones, Justin Pearson, and Gloria Johnson attempted to speak in support of reforming gun laws but were denied, and their microphones were cut off, preventing them from speaking on that topic and on any measure or order of business; denied the ability to speak using their desks and microphones, they instead echoed the chants for reform from Tennesseans present at their capitol; and

WHEREAS, Immediately, the Tennessee House of Representatives majority began an extraordinary campaign of retaliation against Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson, including stripping them of committee assignments, removing their access to their office space and parking, and threatening expulsion, the most extreme action a legislative body can take against one of its members; and

WHEREAS, Expelling a member from the legislative body is an act so extraordinary that, since the Civil War, the Tennessee House had only previously used it to remove members attempting to block ratification of the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which granted citizenship to formerly enslaved people and equal protection of the law to all Americans, and to remove members for bribery and sexual misconduct; and

WHEREAS, Even pursuing the extraordinary step of expulsion, the Tennessee House majority never intended to have a fair proceeding for Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson, with one member of Tennessee's House leadership referring to Rep. Jones as a "former representative" prior to the filing of any expulsion resolution, any hearings, or proceedings on expulsion and without pursuing any other form of conflict resolution for alleged violations of decorum; and

WHEREAS, On April 6, 2023, after less than a day of proceedings, Reps. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the Tennessee House for these alleged violations of decorum, but Rep. Johnson was not; this, despite lawmakers from the majority party admitting that the expulsion resolutions contained "deficiencies", dishonored the legislative process and occurred without the Tennessee House's normal step of empaneling an ethics committee to review alleged violations of their rules; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we condemn the expulsion of Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson and condemn the attempted expulsion of Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson from the Tennessee House of Representatives; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson as a symbol of our respect and esteem.