Bill Text: IL HR0189 | 2023-2024 | 103rd General Assembly | Introduced

---

Bill Title: Condemns the expulsion of Tennessee State Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson and condemns the attempted expulsion of Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson from the Tennessee House of Representatives.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2023-06-26 - Rule 19(a) / Re-referred to Rules Committee [HR0189 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2023-HR0189-Introduced.html

---

HR0189 LRB103 31839 MST 60467 r
HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, On March 27, 2023, three children and three
adults were killed in a mass shooting at The Covenant School in
Nashville, Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, The loss of lives spurred thousands of
Tennesseeans to make their voices heard through protests at
the Tennessee State Capitol, advocating for reform of laws
governing firearm access and availability; and
WHEREAS, Channeling the voices of their constituents who
were among those demonstrating, Reps. Justin Jones, Justin
Pearson, and Gloria Johnson attempted to speak in support of
reforming gun laws but were denied, and their microphones were
cut off, preventing them from speaking on that topic and on any
measure or order of business; denied the ability to speak
using their desks and microphones, they instead echoed the
chants for reform from Tennesseans present at their capitol;
and
WHEREAS, Immediately, the Tennessee House of
Representatives majority began an extraordinary campaign of
retaliation against Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson,
including stripping them of committee assignments, removing
their access to their office space and parking, and

HR0189 - 2 - LRB103 31839 MST 60467 r
threatening expulsion, the most extreme action a legislative
body can take against one of its members; and
WHEREAS, Expelling a member from the legislative body is
an act so extraordinary that, since the Civil War, the
Tennessee House had only previously used it to remove members
attempting to block ratification of the 14th Amendment to the
United States Constitution, which granted citizenship to
formerly enslaved people and equal protection of the law to
all Americans, and to remove members for bribery and sexual
misconduct; and
WHEREAS, Even pursuing the extraordinary step of
expulsion, the Tennessee House majority never intended to have
a fair proceeding for Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson, with
one member of Tennessee's House leadership referring to Rep.
Jones as a "former representative" prior to the filing of any
expulsion resolution, any hearings, or proceedings on
expulsion and without pursuing any other form of conflict
resolution for alleged violations of decorum; and
WHEREAS, On April 6, 2023, after less than a day of
proceedings, Reps. Jones and Pearson were expelled from the
Tennessee House for these alleged violations of decorum, but
Rep. Johnson was not; this, despite lawmakers from the
majority party admitting that the expulsion resolutions

HR0189 - 3 - LRB103 31839 MST 60467 r
contained "deficiencies", dishonored the legislative process
and occurred without the Tennessee House's normal step of
empaneling an ethics committee to review alleged violations of
their rules; therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
we condemn the expulsion of Tennessee State Representatives
Justin Jones and Justin Pearson and condemn the attempted
expulsion of Tennessee State Rep. Gloria Johnson from the
Tennessee House of Representatives; and be it further
RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
presented to Reps. Jones, Pearson, and Johnson as a symbol of
our respect and esteem.