“I will vote to name Justin Jones back into the state House to represent my constituents in House District 52.”

Nashville City Council Member Bob Mendes, regarding his pledge to reappoint state Rep. Justin Jones after he and Rep. Justin Pearson were expelled by Republican state legislators for staging a protest on the House floor that called for gun law reform. A third lawmaker, Rep. Gloria Johnson, also led the protest, but she survived expulsion by one vote; Johnson is white whereas Jones and Pearson are Black. The majority of Nashville’s 40-member council have vowed to reappoint Jones. (NPR — April 10, 2023)