NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Days after an attempt to remove her from her House seat, Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) has been reappointed to her committees.
Doug Kufner, who serves as the director of communications for the House GOP and Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville), said Johnson was reappointed to the Criminal Justice, Education, Instruction and Insurance committees.
This came a week after Tennessee Republican leadership removed her, Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), and Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) from their respective committees and subcommittees for demonstrating on the House floor for gun reform after The Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
A few days after stripping them from their committees, Republicans filed three resolutions to expel the three. The votes against Jones and Pearson passed, while Johnson's expulsion vote failed by a single vote.
"I made it through, and these two young men did not make it through. I think you're right... we know," Johnson said. "But here's the difference. I think we might have these two young men back very soon."
On April 10, the Nashville Metro Council voted to reinstate Jones to his seat in the interim until a special election can be held. Jones will not be assigned to any committees until he is formally elected back into his seat.
Shelby County commissioners will vote Wednesday on whether to reinstate Pearson.
The 'Tennessee Three' said the reason they demonstrated on the floor last week was that their voices on the issue of gun violence and reform were being silenced or ignored in the wake of The Covenant School shooting in Nashville.
"I call on the governor, I call on the state senate to get involved, to reach out to their Republicans in the House and say, 'Let's do what's right. Let's do something different,'" Rep. Sam McKenzie (D-Knoxville) said. " If we do not, the governor has to step up and say if it's going to call for a special session. After this regular session is over, let's come back and do what's right. Let's not let this die."
After returning to the House floor on Monday, Jones took the floor and asked Sexton what happened with the 15 original legislative bills he filed before his expulsion. Sexton responded that he would be able to file 15 new bills, to which Jones said he would dedicate all 15 to "common sense gun reform."