>>> SOME BREAKING NEWS OUT OF
TENNESSEE RIGHT NOW, WHERE A
SECOND DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKER HAS
BEEN EXPELLED OVER THE STATE
THE GOP OVER THEIR PARTICIPATION IN A GUN VIOLENCE
PROTEST.
THE DEBATE OVER GUN CONTROL IN
THE STATE THAT JUST SAW A MASS
SHOOTING AT AN ELEMENTARY
SCHOOL TOOK A PRETTY SHOCKING
TURN IN TENNESSEE EARLIER
TODAY, WHEN TWO BLACK
DEMOCRATIC STATE LAWMAKERS WERE
BOOTED FROM THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
NOW, THERE IS A LOT TO UNPACK
HERE AND WE WILL GET TO ALL OF
THAT.
BUT BEFORE THE VOTE, WE SAW ONE
OF THE LAWMAKERS WHO WAS
EXPELLED MAKE ONE OF HIS
STATEMENTS, AND HERE IS PART OF
WHAT HE SAID.
>> FOR YEARS, ONE OF YOUR
COLLEAGUES WHO WAS A CHILD
MOLESTER SAT IN THIS CHAMBER,
NO EXPULSION.
ONE MEMBER SITS IN THIS
CHAMBER, WHO WAS FOUND GUILTY
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
NO EXPULSION. WE HAD A MEMBER HERE IN THIS
CHAMBER, NO EXPULSION.
>> I KNOW.
A LOT OF QUESTIONS AFTER THAT.
BUT, THE BIGGEST QUESTION TODAY, THE PEOPLE OF TENNESSEE
ARE ASKING, WHY WAS HE EXPELLED?
TENNESSEE STATE REPUBLICANS
VOTED TO EXPEL REPRESENTATIVE
JUSTIN JONES FOR CHANTING, "NO
ACTION, NO PEACE."
ALSO, INTERRUPTING THE
LEGISLATURE DURING A RECENT GUN-
CONTROL PROTEST AT THE STATE
CAPITAL.
THAT PROTEST TOOK PLACE LAST
WEEK AFTER THAT DEADLY MASS
SHOOTING AT THEM NASHVILLE
SCHOOL THAT LEFT THREE CHILDREN
AND THREE ADULTS DEAD.
IT WAS ACTUALLY THREE
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS IN TOTAL
THAT WERE ACCUSED OF VIOLATING
DECORUM.
THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT THERE.
THESE THREE DEMOCRATIC
LAWMAKERS, REPRESENTATIVES
DORIAN JOHNSON, JUSTIN JONES,
AND JUSTIN PEARSON,
REPRESENTATIVE GLORIA JOHNSON
SURVIVED THE VOTE.
ALL THREE JOINED PROTESTS AGAIN
TODAY AS HUNDREDS CAME TO THE
CAPITAL TO SHOW THEIR SUPPORT
AND INSIST ON TOUGHER GUN
SAFETY LAWS.
>> I WALKED OUT TO THE WELL, BECAUSE YOU ARE PUSHING MY
PEOPLE BACK.
WE BROUGHT A MEGAPHONE, BECAUSE
YOU CUT OUR PEOPLE OFF, AND YOU
CUT THE REPRESENTATIVES OFF
FROM THE MICROPHONE, TIME,
AFTER TIME, AFTER TIME, AFTER
TIME, AFTER TIME, AFTER TIME
AGAIN.
AND THERE COMES A TIME WHEN
PEOPLE GET SICK AND TIRED OF
BEING SICK AND TIRED.
>> NBC NEWS CORRESPONDENT
PRISCILLA THOMPSON JOINS ME
NOW.
STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE
CAPITAL.
WHAT IS GOING ON RIGHT NOW?
>> Reporter: GADI, A LOT OF
EMOTION ON THE GROUND RIGHT
NOW.
YOU MAY SEE ME TURNING AROUND,
REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN PEARSON
JUST WALKED OUT OF THE CHAMBER,
WALKED INTO THE CROWD FOR A
MOMENT.
IT IS UNCLEAR, I’M TRYING TO
FIND HIM TO SEE IF HE IS
SPEAKING TO SUPPORTERS, OR WHAT
EXACTLY HE IS DOING.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU BEFORE HE
CAME OUT, THERE WERE A SLEW OF
REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS WHO CAME
OUT AND THIS ENTIRE CROWD OF
PEOPLE, HUNDREDS, SHOUTING,
"SHAME, SHAME, SHAME" AS THEY
WALKED THROUGH THAT WALKWAY
FLANKED BY STATE TROOPERS,
KEEPING THE CROWDS AWAY FROM
THEM AS THEY SOUGHT TO EXIT
THIS BUILDING.
AND THIS IS REALLY THE BUILDUP
THAT WE HAVE BEEN ANTICIPATING
ALL DAY HERE.
THESE DEMONSTRATORS HAVE BEEN
HERE SINCE 8:00 THIS MORNING
WHEN THE CHAMBER FIRST OPENED
AND DEMONSTRATIONS GOT UNDERWAY.
THIS VOTE DID NOT COME UNTIL
THE VERY END OF THE SECOND DAY.
WE HAVE SEEN TWO OF THOSE
DEMOCRATIC LAWMAKERS,
REPRESENTATIVE JUSTIN JONES,
AND JUSTIN PEARSON HAVE BOTH
BEEN EXPELLED, WHILE ONE OF
THOSE LAWMAKERS, GLORIA JOHNSON,
NARROWLY SURVIVED THE VOTE FOR
EXPULSION, AND SO THAT IS WHAT
YOU ARE SEEING PLAY OUT HERE IN
REAL TIME AS THESE PROCEEDINGS
COME TO AN END.
PEOPLE ARE ANGRY, YOU HEAR THEM
SHOUTING, "NO JUSTICE, NO
PEACE."
THEY HAVE BEEN CAMPING LIKE
THIS THROUGHOUT THE DAY, MAKING
SURE THAT THEIR VOICES ARE
BEING HEARD INSIDE OF THAT
GALLERY AS THOSE LAWMAKERS WERE
WORKING.
AND I THINK THE QUESTIONS THAT
ARE COMING UP NOW THAT WE ARE
BEGINNING TO HEAR MORE OF, IS
THE QUESTION OF WHAT ROLE RACE
HAS PLAYED HERE.
YOU HEARD REPRESENTATIVE GLORIA
JOHNSON SAYING THAT SHE
BELIEVES THE REASON WHY SHE MAY
HAVE BEEN SAVED COULD HAVE
SOMETHING TO DO WITH HER RACE.
AND THAT IS SOMETHING I HAVE
HEARD ECHOED WHEN I SPOKE WITH
REPRESENTATIVE JONES.
HE CALLED THIS A POLITICAL
LYNCHING.
HE WAS DOWN ON THE FLOOR, AND
HE ACCUSED REPUBLICANS OF
TRYING TO PUT AS HE REFERRED TO
HIMSELF IN HIS PLACE.
SO, I THINK THERE ARE GOING TO
BE A LOT OF QUESTIONS MOVING
FORWARD ABOUT WHY SOME
REPRESENTATIVES WERE NOT
EXPELLED AND OTHERS WERE, AND
WHAT PRESIDENT THIS SETS, AND
WHAT MESSAGE THIS SENDS.
AND AGAIN, ALL AROUND THE
CONVERSATION ON GUN REFORM AND
THOSE THREE LAWMAKERS WHO TOOK
TO THE LOOR LAST WEEK TO JOIN
THE DEMONSTRATORS IN THE
GALLERY AND DEMANDING CHANGE.
GADI?
>> PRISCILLA, IF I AM NOT
MISTAKEN, THAT IS
REPRESENTATIVE JONES RIGHT
BEHIND YOU.
HOW DOES THIS WORK?
HE IS ALLOWED IN THE CAPITAL?
ARE THEY ALLOWED ON THE FLOOR?
WERE THEY PHYSICALLY REMOVED
FROM THE FLOOR?
OR, WHERE THEY ESCORTED OUT OF
THE FLOOR AND THEY ARE NOT
ALLOWED BACK IN?
>> Reporter: SO, I AM NOT
ACTUALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT.
HE HAS BEEN COMING IN AND OUT,
AND CONTINUED COMING IN AND
OUT, EVEN AFTER THE VOTE
FAILED.
THAT IS ACTUALLY A REALLY GOOD
QUESTION.
HE WAS AMONG THE PEOPLE IN THIS
CROWD WHEN THOSE REPUBLICAN
LAWMAKERS CAME OUT, POINTED AT
THEM AND SAID, "SHAME, SHAME,
SHAME."
AND HE TELLS ME HE IS GOING TO
CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE FOR THIS
LEGISLATION, AND HE SAYS THAT
HE IS GOING TO LOOK AT LEGAL
REMEDIES, BECAUSE HE FEELS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED HERE TODAY WAS
COMPLETELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL.
WE KNOW THAT WHAT IS EXPECTED
TO HAPPEN, IS THE GOVERNOR WILL
SET A DATE FOR THE SPECIAL
ELECTION, AND THE INTERIM
COUNTIES WILL FILL THOSE
REPRESENTATIVE SEATS UNTIL THAT
SPECIAL ELECTION HAPPENED.
BUT, THESE LAWMAKERS WHO WERE
EXPELLED COULD VERY WELL RUN
FOR RE-ELECTION AGAIN, AND WIN
IN THAT SPECIAL ELECTION.
THIS DOES NOT BAR THEM FROM