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☆ Tennessee’s Legislature Can’t Move Past the Bitter Clashes of 2023
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Emily Cochrane | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

When the Tennessee legislature convened on Thursday, custom dictated that Representative Justin Jones, the Nashville Democrat who was expelled last year, take his turn to lead the House in the Pledge of Allegiance. He quietly declined, and once again drew the ire of Republicans. Saying that Mr. Jones’s behavior was a “disgrace,” State Representative Jeremy Faison, a member of the Republican leadership, went so far as to call for his resignation. Mr. Jones, who has risen in national prominence by sparring with the state’s Republican supermajority, later responded that he “couldn’t bring myself to join their performative patriotism,” given the party’s support for former President Donald J. Trump and what Mr. Jones described as an effort to “undermine liberty and justice for all.”It was one of the clearest signs yet that the animosity from 2023, when Republicans expelled Mr. Jones and State Representative Justin Pearson of Memphis for leading a gun control protest on the House floor, had spilled into the new year.

Persons: Justin Jones, Jeremy Faison, Jones, couldn’t, ”, Donald J, Mr, Justin Pearson Organizations: Nashville Democrat, Republican, Trump, State Locations: Tennessee, Memphis

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — For nearly a week, families whose lives were upended by a Nashville elementary school shooting took turns sharing dark details to Tennessee lawmakers. Meanwhile, families have waded into the legislative process, uncovering and reliving personally painful details before lawmakers — privately, publicly or both — with mixed results. The inaction this year in Tennessee was markedly different than how Florida reacted five years ago to a massive school shooting. Parents offered similar pleas in Tennessee last month during a brief special legislative session called by Republican Gov. For many parents, it signaled they would likely retell and relive these dark moments for many more months, as they pledged to seek change next legislative session and in the 2024 statehouse elections.

Persons: —, ”, Melissa Alexander, reliving, “, Melissa Brymer, Marjory Stoneman, “ I’ve, Max Schachter, Alex, I’m, Kimberly Mata, Rubio, Lexi, ” Mata, Bill Lee, Jeremy Faison, Sarah Shoop Neumann, audibly, Chris Todd, Becky Hansen, sobbed, Abby McLean, ” McLean, ” Alexander, Paul Weber Organizations: Covenant School, Republican, General Assembly, Democratic, UCLA, Duke University National Center for, Florida's Republican, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Robb Elementary School, Texas Capitol, Texas House, Republican Gov, Capitol, Covenant, House Republicans, Senate, Associated Press Locations: Tenn, Tennessee, United States, Florida, Parkland, Texas, Uvalde, Austin , Texas

☆ CNN's Van Jones presses a GOP state lawmaker on the Tennessee House voting to expel 2 Black Democratic legislators over their push for gun restrictions: 'Why are you being so unreasonable?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Van Jones last week pressed a Tennessee Republican over his caucus voting to oust two Democratic lawmakers. "You have not done this to anybody except for two people in 200 years," Jones told state Rep. Jeremy Faison. The GOP-led state House took the action after then-Reps. Jones and Pearson led a gun reform protest from the floor. Faison said he felt as though House Republicans followed the proper protocol. State Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white lawmaker who also joined the gun reform protest, was not expelled by House Republicans and remarked last week that "it's pretty clear" why she was spared.

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