a remarkable scheme playing ou right now in the tennessee capital, as you can see there. absolutely shocking scenes i tennessee today. we just saw the third of three votes on expelled expulsion, i will take you through what happened today just so you know, what s happening right now, three members were voted on to b expelled two african american members one white member they expelled, successfully, with a two thirds vote, to the two black members and did no expel the white woman who wa up as well they just held that vote kicking out three democrat from protesting gun violence it started a week ago, whe protesters descended on th state capitol, they were calling for lawmakers to pas gun control legislation after shooter had killed 39 year old and three adults at a privat elementary school in nashville the protesters made it into th gallery of the legislature, an those three democratic lawmakers, the ones that we sa today, justin jones, whose district is in nashville justin pea
tennessee today. we just saw the third of three votes on expelled expulsion, i will take you through what happened today just so you know, what s happening right now, three members were voted on to b expelled two african american members one white member they expelled, successfully, with a two thirds vote, to the two black members and did no expel the white woman who wa up as well they just held that vote kicking out three democrat from protesting gun violence it started a week ago, whe protesters descended on th state capitol, they were calling for lawmakers to pas gun control legislation after shooter had killed 39 year old and three adults at a privat elementary school in nashville the protesters made it into th gallery of the legislature, an those three democratic lawmakers, the ones that we sa today, justin jones, whose district is in nashville justin pearson, whose district is in memphis, and glori johnson, whose district is i knoxville, went to the front o the chamber
the well of that body. now, they did not expel, as he noted, a third democrat, glori johnson, who also was chanting with those to justin s she s a retired teacher who wa represented knoxville sinc 2019 here s what she said after tha vote that spared her expulsion why do you feel like ther is a difference in the outcome between you and your colleague i will answer your question it might have to do with the color of our skin. i m joined now by tennessee state senator, london lamar, she serves in the upper hous in that state. she previously served in a tennessee house and now chairs the democratic caucus in the senate also joins me, of course, civi rights attorney for presiden director counsel of the naac legal defense fund senator london, let me start with you what is going through your mind, as you are watching this unfol in the state capitol in whic you serve? i m right now sitting in my
let you literally in front o the hole - that s exactly what happened today. sherrilyn, to go back to th broader context here, this is very aggressive jury gerrymandering in the state, among state assembly lines obviously, it s a very republican state, but it s a enormous lopsided 75 to 25 something in that range. you know, we ve seen this in wisconsin, we ve seen it i north carolina, a state that s very, very hotly contested i which there s two thirds majority is now in both houses thanks to that gerrymander we see it in state after state that s part of what facilitating this here even though tendencies a conservative state and doe have a republican, you know, statewide office, part o what s facilitating this is th way they ve drawn the district so that they have the power to do what they are doing today absolute power corrupts absolutely and today was a example of an abuse of power i do want to say a word abou due process because when you have the kind of supermajority that they
district is in nashville justin pearson, whose district is in memphis, and glori johnson, whose district is i knoxville, went to the front o the chamber to join in chanc for gun control. the republican speaker of th house compared their actions joining the chance, to the insurrections on january 6th the individuals that stormed and ransacked the capito violently. he stripped them of thei access to the chamber and then scheduled a vote on whether to expel them for what wa essentially a violation of house rules. a move that was so against the very fabric of america representative democracy tha even president biden weighed i tweeting, quote, three kids an three officials gunned down, and yet, another mass shooting and what are gop officials focus on punishing lawmakers who joined thousands of peacefu protesters calling for action. it s shocking, undemocratic, and without precedent. it s a point echoed by mr. jones on the house floor today only three times in over 20