Shelby County Reappoints Justin Pearson to State House

The Shelby County Commission on Wednesday voted unanimously to send Justin Pearson back to the state House following his expulsion last week.

Pearson, a Memphis Democrat, and Justin Jones, a Nashville Democrat, were expelled by state House Republicans after they led an anti-gun protest on the House floor days after the Covenant School shooting in Nashville that left three children and three staffers dead. The Metro Council voted unanimously Monday to reappoint Jones to his seat.

Both districts will hold special elections later this year for the seats, and Jones and Pearson are expected to run.

The expulsions have drawn widespread scrutiny, with both President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris offering support to the representatives and with U.S. senators reportedly asking the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate the actions.

Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, declined Tuesday to specifically address the expulsions but said he would urge the legislature to pass a type of red flag law aimed at keeping guns out of the hands of people deemed dangerous to either themselves or others. The announcement was met with support from Democrats and skepticism by Republicans.