Meanwhile in Tennessee

 Book bans, abortion bans, gerrymandering, you name it.  Tennessee has been making a lot of national news.  And now...

Tennessee Republican lawmakers took the first steps Monday to expel three Democratic members from the GOP-dominant House for their role in a recent gun control protest at the state Capitol.

The extraordinarily rare move resulted in a chaotic and fiery confrontation between lawmakers and supporters opposing the move and has further fractured an already deep political division inside the Tennessee Legislature.

Resolutions have been filed against Reps. Gloria Johnson, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson after they led chants from the House floor with supporters in the gallery last Thursday. The resolution declared that the three had participated in “disorderly behavior” and “did knowingly and intentionally bring disorder and dishonor to the House of Representatives.”

  Politico

I think you have to have some honor before you can be dishonored.

Hundreds of protesters packed the Capitol last week calling for the Republican-led Statehouse to pass gun control measures in response to the Nashville school shooting that resulted in the deaths of six people. As the chants echoed throughout the Capitol, Jones, Johnson and Pearson approached the front of the House chamber with a bullhorn.

As the three shared the bullhorn and cheered on the crowd, Sexton, a Republican, quickly called for a recess. He later vowed the three would face consequences. Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Karen Camper described their actions as “good trouble,” a reference to the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis’ guiding principal.

On Thursday, the three House Democrats approached the podium between bills without being recognized to speak, a breach of chamber rules. With a bullhorn, Reps. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, Justin Jones of Nashville and Justin Pearson of Memphis led protestors in the galleries in several chants calling for gun reform.

[...]

The trio's floor protest last Thursday came just days after the deadly Covenant shooting that left three children and three school staff members dead.

House lawmakers on Thursday had to walk through a gauntlet of protestors, many of whom were teenagers, who had marched on the Tennessee Capitol demanding gun reform.

[...]

House leadership later likened the trio's behavior to an "insurrection," a characterization House Democrats decried last week.

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[P]rotestors in the gallery began chants of "fascists! fascists!" and wagged their fingers and fists at members. Instead, the speaker called for state troopers to clear the House galleries.

One woman was handcuffed and carried out of the gallery by state troopers after she refused to follow commands and pushed a responding trooper, per Davidson County court records. She was charged with assault on a first responder, disorderly conduct and disrupting a meeting or procession.

[...]

Johnson said she would consider a lawsuit if expelled, arguing their protest is constitutionally protected. She also pointed to a list of recent scandals involving lawmakers that didn't lead to expulsion, including the former House Speaker Glen Casada, R-Franklin, who is under federal indictment and former Rep. David Byrd, who was accused of sexually assaulting teenagers when he was a basketball coach decades earlier.

"We had a child molester on the floor for years, they helped him get reelected and did nothing to expel him," Johnson said. "We've had members pee in each other's chairs. We've had members illegally prescribe drugs to their cousin-mistress, and nothing happened. But talk on the floor without permission, and you'll get expelled."

[...]

"The Democratic Caucus has unanimously, formally voted to oppose the baseless resolutions for expulsion and will zealously oppose them should they come up for a vote on the House floor," the statement said.

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Final votes to expel the three members will occur Thursday. Johnson, Jones, and Pearson will have an opportunity to defend their actions during that session.

  Tennessean

It seems that before the three went to the well, their microphones and voting machines had been shut off so they couldn't be heard.