‘Tennessee Three’ Rep Silenced by Republicans on Day One of New Rule

The Tennessee House of Representatives voted Monday to gag Rep. Justin Jones, a Democrat who rose to national prominence as a member of the so-called Tennessee Three, after Republicans decided he’d violated a new rule barring members from speaking out of turn. The disciplinary vote kept Jones from participating in floor debate for the rest of the day, and came a week into a special session called in reaction to a school shooting earlier this year in Nashville, the city that Jones represents. Jones had been speaking against a Republican bill that would have allowed more law enforcement officers in schools when he was gaveled by House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R), according to the Associated Press. He was rebuked again by Sexton after beginning to list other policies that he said would better protect the public. The silencing vote prompted vocal protest from other Democrats and attendees in the chamber’s gallery, with some shouting “fascists” and “racists.” Jones told The Tennessean afterward, “The House is out of order under Cameron Sexton’s leadership. This is very disheartening, this is very troubling.”