'Assault on democracy': two members expelled from Tennessee house over gun control protest

In an extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans expelled two Democratic lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from the state legislature for their role in a protest calling for more gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville.

Banishment is a power the chamber has used only a handful times since the civil war. Most state legislatures are able to expel members, but it is generally reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not as a weapon against political opponents

Two Democratic members expelled from Tennessee house over gun control protest