Republicans explain why they only removed two of ‘The Tennessee Three’

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - UPDATE: Justin Jones has been appointed to fill the District 52 seat until a special election is held. The seat became vacant when Jones was expelled April 6.

Tennessee state lawmakers told WSMV 4 Friday that they are exhausted after spending more than 12 hours at the Tennessee State Capitol Thursday deciding on the expulsion vote for “The Tennessee Three.”

The big question for them: What was the difference between the two they expelled and the one they chose to save?

“It was a long day,” Rep. Jody Barrett of Dickson said. “It was very emotional in what we were dealing with, the subject matter we were dealing with.”

Republican state representative Jody Barrett called for the expulsion of the Tennessee Three for their involvement in a gun control protest on the House floor last week. “I fully intended when I walked in the chamber to vote to expel all three,” Barrett said.

However, Barrett said he changed his mind on one of them during the expulsion hearing Thursday. “Doing the right thing sometimes is hard, but I still feel like it was the right vote,” Barrett said.

The one he voted to save was Democratic representative Gloria Johnson of Knoxville. “The other two gentlemen were going in and out of the room during the session last Thursday, going into the balcony during the session and trying to incite the crowd,” Barrett said.

Barrett said he did not see the same from Johnson.

“I did not, personally no,” Barrett said. “And I did not see that established yesterday during the debate.”

Johnson herself has a different take on the outcome between her and her colleagues.

“It might have to do with the color of our skin,” Johnson said Thursday.

Democratic representative Justin Pearson of Memphis, who was also expelled after Johnson was saved, agrees.

“You cannot ignore the racial dynamic of what happened today,” Pearson said Thursday. “Two young black lawmakers get expelled, while the white woman does not? That is a statement in and of itself.”

WSMV4 asked Barrett if race played any role in his vote.

“Absolutely not,” Barrett said. Absolutely not.”

Barrett is one of five Republicans who voted to expel only two of the three: Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, Rep. Rush Bricken, R-Tullahoma, Rep. Lowell Russell, R-Vonore, Rep. Mike Sparks, R-Smyrna, and Rep. Sam Whitson, R-Franklin.

We reached out to all of them Friday. The only other one who responded was Russell, who released a statement that said in part “Gloria Johnson did not participate to the extent Jones and Pearson did.”

We also asked Barrett why he chose to expel them as opposed to less severe measures like censuring them. He said that was not enough and believed a message needed to be sent.

Lowell’s full statement can be found below.

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