On Thursday, a former state lawmaker from Tennessee revealed that his committee position had been taken away from him.
“Rep. Justin Jones (D) took to X to share the news that the Speaker has removed him from the House Education Admin Committee. According to his post, the committee is gearing up to promote a school voucher program that is receiving significant backlash from the public. Jones believes that his Republican colleagues are attempting to silence opposing voices, as they are well aware that voters are not in favor of their ‘Education for Profit’ initiative.”
In an earlier post on Thursday, Jones highlighted that his Republican colleagues had voted in favor of granting Speaker Cameron Sexton additional discretionary power in their new rules package. He also noted that they had voted to restrict his ability to participate in debates.
According to Jones, the Speaker has been using his position to suppress opposing views and further undermine democracy in Tennessee.
Jones, a member of the infamous “Tennessee Three,” got expelled from the Legislature in April of last year. His expulsion was a result of his involvement in a state capitol protest demanding gun control after the tragic Covenant School shooting in Nashville. The shooting claimed the lives of six individuals, including three innocent children.
House Republicans claimed that their actions had violated House rules and proceeded to vote for the expulsion of Jones and Justin Pearson (D).
Jones and Pearson, who are both Democrats, successfully reclaimed their seats in the August elections.
