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☆ Why Black Democrats Are Unlikely to Aid Haley in South Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jazmine Ulloa | Maya King | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It appeared to be Nikki Haley’s most diverse audience yet. More than two dozen people in a crowd of about 150, gathered this month at an outdoor space in Gilbert, S.C., just 30 minutes from the South Carolina capital, were Black. Union busting” at Ms. Haley, a former governor of South Carolina and a self-proclaimed “union buster,” before being shouted down. The scene captured an intractable challenge for Ms. Haley heading into South Carolina’s Republican primary on Feb. 24. But Ms. Haley’s relationship with Black voters, a key Democratic faction in the state, has been long fraught.

Persons: Nikki Haley’s, S.C, Nikki ”, ”, Haley, —, Donald J, Trump Organizations: Republican, Black, Democratic Locations: Gilbert, South Carolina, South

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Republicans are critical of diversity and inclusion programs within the federal government and elsewhere, but they see recruiting women and minority candidates, along with veterans, as key to expanding their slim majority in November. “These are not run-of-the-mill generic Republicans," Hudson said. And so we’re using that same formula.”When asked what she makes of the House Republican focus on recruiting females and minorities, the chair of the campaign arm for House Democrats was skeptical. It's not just House Republicans seeking to end such programs. Hudson sidestepped on whether the focus on attracting female and minority candidates as House Republican candidates clashes with efforts to clamp down on diversity and inclusion programs within the federal government and elsewhere.

Persons: Richard Hudson, Prasanth Reddy, Alison Esposito, Hudson, George Logan, there's Kevin Lincoln, Mayra Flores, prognosticators, ” Hudson, “ That’s, “, ”, Suzan DelBene, It's, Hudson sidestepped, George Santos, Tom Suozzi, Mazi, She's, Elise Stefanik's, Alexandria Ocasio, ” Stefanik, ” Steven Horsford, ” Horsford Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, Republicans, National Republican Congressional Committee, GOP, House Democrats, Democrats, Republican, “, Associated, Democratic, Ethiopian, Pew Research Center, PAC, Republican Party, Congressional Black Caucus, Women, Puerto Rico Locations: India, Kansas, New York, Guatemala, Connecticut, Stockton , Calif, Mexican, ”, Alexandria, Cortez, Puerto

The GOP’s South Carolina primary won’t be held until Feb. 24. Arguing that voters of color should play a larger role in determining the Democratic presidential nominee, Biden championed a calendar beginning in South Carolina. South Carolina was also where Biden reversed his fortunes with a resounding victory during the 2020 Democratic primary after defeats in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada. “I wouldn’t be here without the Democratic voters of South Carolina, and that’s a fact,” Biden said at the state's Democratic Party’s “First-in-the-Nation” celebration dinner last weekend. Associated Press writer Ayanna Alexander in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

Persons: Joe Biden, Biden, Dean Phillips, Marianne Williamson, ” Harris, Jill Biden, Barack Obama, Jim Clyburn, “, ” Biden, Donald Trump, ”, LaJoia Broughton, Charles Trower, Still, don’t, Phillips, it's, Harris, Trump, ” Trump, ___ Weissert, Ayanna Alexander Organizations: COLUMBIA, South, Democratic, Black, Minnesota Rep, Democratic National Committee, South Carolina, AP VoteCast, Black Democrats, DNC, Republican, America, —, Capitol, Associated Press Locations: Iowa, South Carolina, GOP’s, Carolina, South Carolina State, Orangeburg, Nevada, Michigan, Iowa , New Hampshire, Columbia, Blythewood , South Carolina, ” New Hampshire, Florida, North Carolina, Washington, Columbia , South Carolina

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The Louisiana Legislature's redrawn congressional map giving the state a second mostly Black district is being challenged by 12 self-described “non-African American” voters in a new lawsuit. At least one person, state Sen. Cleo Fields, a Black Democrat from Baton Rouge, has already said he will be a candidate in the new district. It is not clear how the lawsuit will affect that district or the 2022 litigation, which is still ongoing. Louisiana's Legislature drew a new map in 2022 that was challenged by voting rights advocates because only one of six U.S. House maps was majority Black, even though the state population is roughly one-third Black. As the case was appealed, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an unexpected ruling in June that favored Black voters in a congressional redistricting case in Alabama.

Persons: Sen, Cleo Fields, John Bel Edwards, Shelly Dick, Jeff Landry, Edwards, Garrett Graves, Landry's, Nancy Landry, David Joseph, Donald Trump Organizations: ORLEANS, American, Republican, Democrat, Louisiana's, ., U.S, Supreme, Black, Circuit, Appeals, Gov, GOP, Republicans Locations: Louisiana, Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Alabama, Shreveport, Black, Western

N.C. (AP) — North Carolina Black and Latino voters sued in federal court on Monday seeking to strike down congressional districts drawn this fall by Republican state legislators that they argue weaken minority voting power in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Under the iteration of the congressional map that had been drawn by state judges for the 2022 elections, Democrats and Republicans each won seven seats. Meanwhile, the number of minority voters grows in the 12th, which is represented by Rep. Alma Adams of Charlotte. Rep. Jeff Jackson, a Mecklenburg County Democrat, already said he’s running for state attorney general, saying he can’t win reelection under the new congressional map. The latest congressional map “continues North Carolina’s long tradition of enacting redistricting plans that pack and crack minority voters into gerrymandered districts designed to minimize their voting strength," the plaintiffs' lawyers write.

Persons: gerrymanders, Tim Moore, Kathy Manning, Republican mapmakers, Don Davis, Alma Adams, Charlotte, Jeff Jackson, Moore Organizations: —, — North Carolina, Republican, U.S . Constitution, General, Republicans, Capitol, U.S . House, Black Democrats, 6th, GOP, Democratic, Rep, Mecklenburg County Democrat, Supreme Locations: RALEIGH, N.C, — North, U.S ., U.S, Charlotte, District, North, Greensboro, Pitt County, South Carolina, Mecklenburg County

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida Legislature didn't violate the state constitution when it approved congressional maps pushed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that helped the GOP replace a Black Democratic representative with a white conservative, an appeals court ruled Friday. The 1st District Court of Appeal reversed a lower court's ruling that the map that rewrote U.S. Rep. Alan Lawson's district was unconstitutional because it diminished Black voters' ability to elect a candidate of their choice. Voting rights groups had argued the new map was unconstitutional because it dismantled a district where Black citizens made up nearly half the registered voters. The appeals court agreed with DeSantis that a district can't be drawn to connect two Black communities that otherwise have no connection.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, Alan Lawson's, DeSantis, “ Organizations: Republican Gov, GOP, Black Democratic, Rep, Black Locations: TALLAHASSEE, Fla, Florida, downtown Jacksonville, Gadsden County, Georgia, Washington, Alabama, Orlando

BOSTON (AP) — At a moment of record visibility and influence for Black attorneys in the United States, debates over race, criminal justice and democracy are increasingly at the center of the public conversation. In wide-ranging interviews with The Associated Press, six sitting Black attorneys general discussed the challenges and opportunities of serving as the top law enforcement officer in their respective states. Here are some of the biggest takeaways from the conversations:Black attorneys general are at the forefront of criminal justice reform effortsBlack attorneys general have emerged as some of the most prominent advocates of reform to the criminal justice system. Trump has lashed out at James, Bragg and Willis with language often evoking racist and stereotypical tropes, such as using terms like “animal” and “rabid.”Black Democratic attorneys general learn from and collaborate with one anotherThe interviewed attorneys general confirmed that they frequently call, text and communicate with one another. They also borrow tactics and policies from each other, several of the attorneys general said.

Persons: litigators, Black, Andrea Campbell, Campbell, Keith Ellison, Derek Chauvin, George Floyd, Ellison, ’ ” Ellison, we’ve, Donald Trump, Aaron Ford, ” Trump, Letitia James, James, Trump, ’, Fani Willis, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Bragg, Willis, ”, “, ” Ellison, General Anthony Brown, Brown, Anthony Brown’s, Kwame Raoul, ” Ford, ____ Matt Brown, Jonathan Logan Organizations: BOSTON, White, Associated Press, Black, New York, The Trump Organization, Manhattan, Attorney, Trump, Democratic, Jonathan Logan Family Foundation, AP Locations: United States, Minneapolis, Nevada, Fulton County, Georgia, New York, James, Maryland, Illinois

☆ US House: Court fights could tip control in 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-14 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +8 min

The state's highest court, the Court of Appeals, will hear arguments this week over whether to order a new map for 2024, as Democrats have asked, or to maintain the current map, as Republicans have argued. The new map was made possible by the state Supreme Court, after two conservative judges won election in 2022. The court's previous Democratic majority had thrown out a Republican map as an illegal gerrymander. UTAH: DEMOCRATS COULD GAIN ONE SEATThe state Supreme Court is weighing whether a Republican-drawn map that divided Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County into four districts violated the state constitution. The Republican state party has appealed.

Persons: Shannon Stapleton, Ron DeSantis, Al Lawson, Steve Jones, Brian Kemp, Jim Cooper, Joseph Ax, Jason Lange, Scott Malone, Jonathan Oatis Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . House, Representatives, Census, Democrats, Democratic, House, SEAT, Republican, Black Democrat, District, Black, U.S, Supreme, NORTH CAROLINA, REPUBLICANS, SOUTH CAROLINA, South, voters, NEW, SEAT Republicans, SEAT Civil, U.S . Department of Justice, Thomson Locations: Queens, New York City, U.S, Alabama, New York, FLORIDA, Florida, Black, GEORGIA, LOUISIANA, ALABAMA, UTAH, Salt Lake County, NEW MEXICO, TENNESSEE, Nashville's, TEXAS

He described the announcement as “an exciting opportunity to celebrate the importance of rural America.”Biden’s reelection campaign said the president's trip to Minnesota was planned before Phillips announced his candidacy. Political Cartoons View All 1227 ImagesBiden's trip, coming so soon after Phillips’ announcement, will be an opportunity for the president to try to snuff out any potential support for his nascent primary challenger. Invited guests to Biden's fundraiser include past donors to Phillips' congressional campaigns, as well as Minnesota Democratic Gov. Phillips' campaign will feel “almost like a cold glass of water being thrown in his face," said Ken Martin, chair of Minnesota Democrats and a Democratic National Committee vice chair. “I welcome President Biden back to Minnesota, where Everyone’s Invited!,” Phillips said in a statement about Biden's trip, referencing his campaign slogan.

Persons: Joe Biden, Dean Phillips, Tom Vilsack, ” Biden’s, Phillips, Biden shouldn't, —, Donald Trump, Tim Walz, Ken Martin, Martin, Biden, “, Walz, Love Joe Biden, it’s, ” Walz, Angie Craig, ”, Bennie Thompson, ” Phillips, “ I’m, won’t, Marianne Williamson, Robert Kennedy Jr, Karine Jean, Pierre wouldn't, Richard Nixon, Trump, Hillary Clinton, Democratic pollster Cornell Belcher, ” Belcher, Chrissy Houlahan, Dean ”, Biden’s, Houlahan Organizations: WASHINGTON, White, Republican, Minnesota Democratic Gov, Minnesota Democrats, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Party, Minnesota Democrat, Biden, Black Democrats, Democratic, Mississippi Democratic Rep, Democrat, Minnesota, Pennsylvania Locations: Minnesota, Minneapolis, America, Democratic Minneapolis, U.S, Craig's district, New Hampshire, South Carolina, South Carolina's, ” Minnesota, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Wisconsin

☆ These redistricting fights could determine which party controls the House
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-22 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

Before the court action, Alabama – which is 27% Black – had only one Black-majority congressional district out of seven seats. The case is expected to land before the all-Republican state Supreme Court, where DeSantis appointees hold most seats. A separate federal case in Georgia challenges the congressional map on constitutional grounds and is slated to go to trial next month. UtahThe state Supreme Court, in a case it heard in July, is considering whether it even has the authority to weigh in on map-drawing decisions by the GOP-controlled state legislature. Advocacy groups and a handful of voters are challenging a congressional map that further carved up Democratic-leaning Salt Lake County between four decidedly Republican districts.

Persons: “, ”, David Wasserman, Amy Walter, Wasserman, Adam Kincaid, Kincaid, it’s, Nick Seabrook, –, John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Ron DeSantis, Al Lawson, Steve Jones, Jones preliminarily, Andy Barr, Amy McGrath, Barr, Kareem Crayton, Brennan, Gabe Vasquez –, Chris Cooper, Jeff Jackson, Wiley Nickel, Kathy Manning, Don Davis, Valerie Foushee –, Davis, Roy Cooper, Nancy Mace, Kevin McCarthy Organizations: CNN, Democratic, Republicans, The, Republican, Black, National Republican Redistricting Trust, University of North, House, US, Gov, Black Democrat, Georgia Republicans, – Democratic, Congressional, Republican –, GOP, Louisiana Republicans, Appeals, Brennan Center for Justice . New, Brennan Center for Justice . New Mexico Republicans, New, New York Republicans, North Carolina, Democrats, Western Carolina University, Foushee, North, Democratic Gov, Supreme, Republican Rep, House GOP Locations: North Carolina, New York , Louisiana, Georgia, Alabama, New York, University of North Florida, America, Louisiana, Florida, Black, North Florida, Atlanta, Peach, . Kentucky, Kentucky, Frankfort, Democratic, Brennan Center for Justice . New Mexico, New Mexico, Mexico, Empire, “, Charlotte, Raleigh, Greensboro, state’s, Carolina, Charleston, Utah, Salt Lake County, Salt, Texas, Tennessee

Additionally, the lawsuit by the Nashville member of the “Tennessee Three” contends his constitutional due process rights were infringed upon by the expulsion proceedings. Jones, Pearson and Johnson were propelled into the national spotlight. They said the new House rules promote civility, respect and accountability. On the day the House voted to silence Jones, Sexton had warned Jones about calling a Republican's bills “reprehensible,” “asinine,” and “insulting." In addition to the limits on debate, House Republicans also instituted a ban on the public holding signs during floor and committee proceedings.

Persons: Justin Jones, Jones, Cameron Sexton, ”, Justin Pearson, Gloria Johnson, Pearson, Johnson, Amy Wilhite, hadn't, Sexton, Bill Lee, “, Jerry Martin, Eric Holder, Holder Organizations: — Tennessee Democratic, Nashville, Tennessee, Black Democrat, Republicans, Democratic Rep, Republican Gov, Covenant School, Glock, Republican, U.S Locations: Tenn, Nashville, Tennessee

NEW YORK (AP) — In a new study, Black Americans expressed broad concerns about how they are depicted in the news media, with majorities saying they see racist or negative depictions and a lack of effort to cover broad segments of their community. Political Cartoons View All 1182 Images“There's a feeling that Black Americans are often depicted as perpetrators or victims of crime, and there are no nuances in the coverage,” Whitaker said. For example, 46% of Republicans and 44% of Democrats say that news coverage largely stereotyped Black people, Pew said. While 57% of those in lower income levels said news coverage about Black people was more negative than it was about other groups. Prince said there was notable progress, post-Floyd, in the hiring of Black journalists into leadership roles in the media.

Persons: George Floyd's, Pew, “ It's, ”, Charles Whitaker, ” Whitaker, “, Richard Prince, Prince, he's, Katerina Eva Matsa, Matsa, Whitaker, Medill, “ We're, Floyd Organizations: Pew Research Center, Medill, Northwestern University, Blacks, Black Democrats, Republicans, Pew, Northwestern Locations: New

☆ Supreme Court's Alabama map ruling defied predictions as Roberts and Kavanaugh teamed up to protect Voting Rights Act
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Joan Biskupic | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +18 min

Ambivalent during early internal debate, Kavanaugh eventually gave Roberts enough confidence that he could write an opinion for a majority. The state’s approach would have wholly undercut the history and purpose of the landmark Voting Rights Act, passed at the height of the Civil Rights movement to try to end race discrimination. Senior conservative Thomas, who has been unyielding in his rejection of race-based practices, was ready to write a far-reaching opinion against the court’s Voting Rights Act precedent for redistricting. Meanwhile, Kavanaugh and Roberts came together, ensuring the chief a five-justice majority for the robust endorsement of Voting Rights Act remedies when states discriminate in redistricting. The Alabama redistricting case shook out differently as Kavanaugh signed a significant portion of Roberts’ opinion.

Persons: John Roberts, Brett Kavanaugh, Roberts, Kavanaugh, –, Steve Marshall, Edmund LaCour, ”, Donald Trump, Ramos, Atticus Finch, “, Bill Clinton, Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, General LaCour, Holder, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Thomas ’, Barrett, George H.W, Roe, Wade, Dobbs, ” Roberts, General Marshall, LaCour, — Organizations: CNN, Alabama, Republican, Supreme, Blacks, Democratic, Notre Dame, Black, Trump, Black Democrats, ”, Civil, Senior, Jackson, Health Organization, Harvard, University of North Locations: Alabama, Black, Minnesota, . Louisiana, . Mississippi, ” Alabama, Shelby County, Bush, Mississippi, University of North Carolina, ”

☆ Tennessee G.O.P. Again Silences Democratic Lawmaker Justin Jones
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-28 | by ( Emily Cochrane | More About Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Tennessee’s House Republicans on Monday again silenced Representative Justin Jones, a Black Democrat who was expelled earlier this year in a gun control protest, after he was deemed to have violated new stringent rules of decorum. Democrats left the House chamber in protest after Mr. Jones was barred from speaking on the floor for the remainder of the day, while chants of “fascists” and “racists” broke out in the gallery overhead. Republicans ordered state troopers to clear the galleries. The uproar came when Speaker Cameron Sexton and chamber leaders decided that Mr. Jones, for the second time in the day, had breached the rules of the House by speaking out of turn. This time, Mr. Jones had suggested, during a debate about increasing the number of police officers in schools, that the state’s resources should be focused instead on mental health professionals and teacher pay — comments Mr. Sexton said were off-topic.

Persons: Justin Jones, Jones, ”, Cameron Sexton, Sexton Organizations: Tennessee’s, Republicans, Monday, Black Democrat

☆ A North Florida congressional district that was held by a Black Democrat before it was dismantled by Ron DeSantis could be restored in 2024 under a new agreement
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-13 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

An agreement could potentially restore a North Florida House dismantled by DeSantis, per Politico. The agreement wouldn't end the litigation over DeSantis' map, but would limit the scope of arguments against the lines. Ron DeSantis, who's currently running for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, wasn't satisfied, submitting a map that dismantled the plurality-Black congressional district of then-Democratic Rep. Al Lawson. But an ongoing legal challenge to the state's congressional maps has produced an agreement that could restore Lawson's North Florida district for the 2024 election, according to Politico. Another lawsuit involving the congressional maps is currently in federal court.

Persons: Democrat Al Lawson, Ron DeSantis, who's, wasn't, Al Lawson, Olivia Mendoza, DeSantis, Cord Byrd Organizations: Florida House, DeSantis, Politico, Democrat, Service, Republican, Democratic, Florida Supreme, GOP, National Redistricting Foundation, Black, Gov, Florida Republican, League of Women Voters Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Lawson's, Orlando, Tampa Bay

July 20 (Reuters) - Alabama's Republican-controlled legislature on Friday passed a new congressional map that increased the number of Black voters in one of the state's districts, but Democrats said the plan defied a U.S. Supreme Court ruling intended to protect minority voters' rights. More than one-quarter of Alabama's residents are Black, but under a Republican-drawn map approved in 2021, only one of the state's seven congressional districts, the 7th, is majority Black. Senator Bobby Singleton, a Black Democrat, accused fellow lawmakers of playing a "game" with Black voters. But Republicans said they were confident the 2nd district's new lines provided a meaningful opportunity for Black voters. Last week, a New York state appeals court ordered lawmakers to redraw the state's congressional map.

Persons: Scott Douglas, Terri Sewell, Bobby Singleton, Singleton, Michael Li, New York University's, Josephine Walker, Joseph Ax, Scott Malone, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Republican, U.S, Supreme, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Democratic U.S, Republicans, U.S . House, Representatives, Black, New York, Center for Justice, Democratic, Thomson Locations: Alabama, Black, U.S, New, New York, Washington

☆ Alabama lawmakers clash over Black voters as redistricting deadline looms
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-21 | by ( Joseph Ax | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

The plaintiffs in the Supreme Court case have already vowed to challenge either map in court, saying both would still violate the law. In 2022, a three-judge panel in a federal district court invalidated the current map as unlawful. Black Democratic lawmakers have called the maps a slap in the face to Black voters - and to the courts. "It is an embarrassment," said Juandalynn Givan, a Jefferson County legislator, adding that the Republican plan amounted to dropping "an F-bomb on the United States Supreme Court." "There certainly are places in the country where a 42% Black district would elect a Black-preferred candidate," Li said.

Persons: Scott Douglas, Terri Sewell, Juandalynn Givan, Michael Li, New York University's, Li, Joseph Ax, Josephine Walker, Scott Malone, Aurora Ellis Organizations: Republican, U.S, Supreme, Republicans, U.S . House, Senate, Greater Birmingham Ministries, Democratic U.S ., Lawmakers, Black Democratic, United States Supreme, New York, Center for Justice, Black, Democratic, Thomson Locations: U.S, Alabama's, Alabama, Black, Jefferson County, New, New York

☆ Biden Sidesteps Any Notion That He’s a ‘Flaming Woke Warrior’
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-04 | by ( Reid J. Epstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Republicans have tried to pull him in, but appear to recognize the difficulty: When G.O.P. presidential candidates vow to end what they derisively call “woke” culture, they often aim their barbs not directly at Mr. Biden but at big corporations like Disney and BlackRock or the vast “administrative state” of the federal government. Republican strategists say most of their party’s message on abortion and transgender issues is aimed at primary voters, while Mr. Biden is seen as far more vulnerable in a general election on the economy, crime and immigration. Mr. Biden’s armor against cultural attacks might seem unlikely for a president who has strongly advocated for L.G.B.T.Q. In June, the White House said it had barred a transgender activist who went topless at its Pride event.

Persons: G.O.P, “, Biden, — Organizations: Mr, Disney, BlackRock, L.G.B.T.Q, Black Democratic

WASHINGTON, May 15 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear a bid by South Carolina officials to revive a Republican-crafted voting map that a lower court said had unconstitutionally "exiled" 30,000 Black voters from a closely contested congressional district. In this case, the Republican legislators were accused of racial gerrymandering to reduce the influence of black voters. South Carolina's Republican-controlled legislature adopted a new voting map last year following the 2020 U.S. census. The Republican map resulted in a 1st congressional district with a larger percentage of white, Republican-leaning voters. The judges – all three appointed by Democratic presidents – ruled that no elections can take place in the 1st district until it has been redrawn, prompting the South Carolina Republican officials to appeal to the Supreme Court.

☆ Opinion | Timothy McVeigh’s Dreams Are Coming True
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Michelle Goldberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

As you probably know by now, there was another mass shooting last weekend, at an outdoor mall in Allen, Texas. But mass shootings are increasingly part of the background noise of life in a country coming apart at the seams. And so in the wake of mass shootings, when the public is most likely to clamor for gun regulations, Republicans regularly shore up gun access instead. In April, following a school shooting in Nashville, Republicans expelled two young Black Democratic legislators who’d led a gun control protest at the Tennessee Capitol. A few days later, the State Senate passed a bill protecting the gun industry from lawsuits.

☆ Tennessee G.O.P. Cuts Session Short With No Action on Gun Control
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-22 | by ( Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

NASHVILLE — Hundreds of students, parents and teachers marched to the Tennessee State Capitol, day after day, demanding a ban on assault weapons and action on gun control. Their calls were echoed by musicians like Amy Grant and Sheryl Crow, who trekked to the legislature to personally lobby lawmakers after a mass shooting at a Nashville Christian school. Several faith leaders joined the effort, writing to Republican leaders to urge them to support a proposal that would help temporarily restrict access to guns for people found by a court to be a danger to themselves or others. But on Friday, just under a month after the attack at the school, Republicans instead cut short the year’s legislative session and punted on any measure dealing explicitly with guns, capping a whirlwind three months of lawmaking that underscored the power of the far-right flank of the Republican Party in Tennessee and saw the brief expulsion of two Black Democratic lawmakers. “We’re not going anywhere,” she added.

“Based on the completed staff investigation, the Ethics Subcommittee finds that Representative Campbell violated the Policy” against workplace discrimination and harassment, the memorandum from the workplace discrimination and harassment subcommittee states. Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones, and Gloria Johnson leave the Tennessee State Capitol after a vote at the Tennessee House of Representatives to expel the three Democratic members for their roles in a gun control demonstration. Cheney Orr/ReutersReps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, both young, Black Democrats who represent Districts 52 and 86 respectively, were ousted from the GOP-dominated chamber. Jones and Pearson returned to the Tennessee House after they were reappointed through unanimous votes by local officials in their respective districts. The subcommittee said in its memo that it “is committed to protecting members, employees, and visitors by providing an environment free of discrimination, harassment, or retaliation.

☆ Justin Pearson sworn back in to Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Democratic Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson who was ousted from the Tennessee House of Representatives along with another young Black colleague for breaking decorum with a gun control demonstration on the House floor, is sworn in before returning to the state legislature after being reinstated in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin WurmNASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson was sworn in on Thursday morning after he was reappointed to the legislature from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House of Representatives floor. "We've just been expelled, but we're back," Pearson told the crowd. We're going to keep fighting to end environmental racism and injustice," Pearson told reporters after his reappointment. Tennessee House Republicans, who have a supermajority, have said in a statement they will welcome back any expelled state lawmakers returned by county-level governments, so long as those members follow the legislature's rules.

☆ Justin Pearson due to be sworn back in to Tennessee statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson is due to be sworn in on Thursday after he was reappointed to the statehouse from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House floor. Pearson on Wednesday was appointed to his vacated seat by the county legislature that includes his Memphis district. Pearson will be sworn in for the third time this year. The state constitution gives local legislative bodies the power to appoint interim state representative to fill vacancies until special elections can be held. Jones and Pearson have said they will run in special elections, for which no date has yet been set.

☆ Memphis-area commissioners vote to reinstate Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Shelby County Commission voted to reinstate Justin Pearson back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Pearson was removed from the body alongside newly-reinstated state Rep. Justin Jones over a gun reform protest. On Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously former state Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis back to the seat that he last occupied just last Thursday. Pearson, along with state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, had been expelled from the legislature for what Republicans said was a breach in decorum in leading an unauthorized gun control push on the House floor. Tennessee Republicans have denied that Pearson and Johnson were removed from the body because of race.

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