Ousted Tennessee Democrat ‘Appalled’ That GOP May Cut His County’s Funds

Tennessee state Rep. Justin Pearson was expelled after participating in a protest against gun violence following a school shooting in Nashville.

A Tennessee Democrat who was expelled from the GOP-dominated state House of Representatives says he is shocked at reports that legislators have threatened local officials with funding cuts if he’s reappointed.

“I think that it is appalling that leaders in Nashville would actually threaten other elected officials in Shelby County with the removal of funds from our county if they follow the Democratic process of reappointment,” ousted state Rep. Justin Pearson (D) told HuffPost. “It is a testament to the type of culture that we’ve been dealing with, with the supermajority of the Republican legislature in Tennessee.”

Pearson, whose district covers parts of Memphis, was expelled from the Tennessee state House of Representatives last week, alongside state Rep. Justin Jones, for participating in an anti-gun violence protest on the House floor following a school massacre in Nashville. Another Democrat, Rep. Gloria Johnson, also participated in the protest but was not voted out. Both Jones and Pearson are seeking reappointment to their seats.

In Pearson’s case, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners needs to appoint an interim representative now that the seat is empty, until a special election is set. The chairman of the board called a special meeting Wednesday.

However, local officials said state legislators angered by Pearson’s re-appointment could potentially block funding to Memphis. “We are also being threatened by the state to take away funding, needed funding to run our schools, to run our municipalities,” Shelby County Commissioner Erika Sugarmon told FOX 13 Memphis. No legislators have publicly stated if they would do this.

Another commissioner, Amber Mills, told the Commercial Appeal that she would decline to reappoint Pearson because it may result in legislators barring funds from coming to Shelby County.

The Shelby County Commission holds a Democratic supermajority, the Commercial Appeal noted.

“It’s not a democracy; it’s a mobocracy. And if you don’t bend to their will, you can get expelled,” Pearson said. “You can lose funding, you can face retribution, and that’s not the way the government of democracy should be operating.”

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