This much is known: Two lawmakers were ousted from the Tennessee General Assembly over a gun-control demonstration on the House floor. They were returned within a week.
But what led up to their expulsion, and what happened in the aftermath? The Chattanooga Times Free Press reviewed the record and pieced together this timeline:
— March 27: Three 9-year-old students and three adults at The Covenant School in Nashville are killed by a 28-year-old former student with semi-automatic firearms, Nashville police say. The shooter had mental health issues, according to police.
— March 28: Protests begin at the state Capitol as students, parents and others demonstrate for gun control.
— March 29: Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, says he is putting a temporary pause on all gun-related bills brought by both Republican and Democratic lawmakers. He follows through later saying no more gun bills will be heard this year and moves all measures to 2024.
— March 30: Tennessee House convenes at 9 a.m.
— 9:06 a.m.: Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Nashville, and other Davidson County representatives gather in the House well for a moment of silence for the victims. Freeman, who represents Green Hills where the shooting occurred, describes how events unfolded for friends of his whose children attended the school. "I had childhood friends frantically calling and texting me asking me if I could help them find out where their kids were," he says. "Think about that for a second. They knew there was an active shooter, and they didn't know if their kids had gotten out. It was absolutely heartbreaking."
— 9:19 a.m.: Rep. Robert Stevens, R-Smryna, presents a bill dealing with a wine-in-grocery store referendum. Rep. Justin Pearson, a freshman from Memphis, seeks recognition and is recognized by House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville. "Hello," Pearson says. "First, I want to start with, we need to do something about gun control."
Sexton interrupts, "Representative, stay on the bill. I don't want to have to start ruling out of order again."
Pearson goes on, "The deafening cries of the people ..."
Sexton: "Rep. Pearson, stay on the bill, sir."
— 9:20 a.m.: Pearson returns to the bill at hand. "Why do we need this bill, sponsor?" he says. After Stevens explains, Pearson thanks him.
— 9:22 a.m.: Rep. John Crawford, R-Kingsport, presents a bill dealing with the state Comptroller's Office's use of political redistricting and census data to look for any potential discrepancies and ensure all data is properly verified.
— 9:24 a.m.: Pearson is recognized by Sexton. "Again, we need to do something about gun control," Pearson says, raising concerns about the need for the comptroller's legislation.
— 10:50 a.m.: More than an hour later, after seeking recognition from Sexton, Rep. Justin Jones, a freshman from Nashville, flanked by Pearson and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, seeks recognition and raises a parliamentary inquiry from his desk at the back of the chamber.
"I was told just right now by you, by a member of your staff, that I cannot wear a pin that says 'Halt the Assault' with a picture of an AR-15, that I'm banned from wearing this pin," Jones says.
Sexton asks the clerk to explain. Citing Rule 35, the clerk says members shall not enter any meeting of the House, its committees, subcommittees and joint conventions or joint committees with any props, displays of any kind that may be used as a visual aid for the advocacy of or any opposition to any legislation or political message whatsoever.
Jones replies, "Mr. Speaker, members of the other side of the aisle always wear pins that say the NRA. They wear big pins with the AR-15 on it, but you're telling me that I cannot wear a pin with a picture of an AR-15."
Sexton says, "Rep. Jones, you made an allegation to a member today that they were wearing such a pin and they were not. So, you heard the rule, we're moving on. Alright, next bill, Mr. Clerk."
— 10:52 a.m.: Jones can be heard shouting that his voting machine had been turned off on a just-completed vote on a school voucher bill. Jones, Pearson and Johnson move to the House well.
Sexton says, "Representative, you're out of order. Five-minute recess. Leadership, you come up here."
Video taken by an unknown person — later used as evidence in expulsion proceedings — shows Jones, Pearson and Johnson had marched to the House well, where Pearson was chanting, "Power to the people."
The video depicts the Democrats' actions in the well for 7 minutes and 20 seconds. That and social media posts by reporters at the time show that as Republican and Democratic House leaders confer, Jones and Pearson use a megaphone to lead House gallery attendees in chants, shouting "No action, no peace," "Power to the people" and other slogans.
— 11:01: House leaders move to an outdoor balcony to confer, according to a post by the Tennessee Lookout.
— 11:02 a.m.: The crowd in the House gallery chants, "Shame, shame, shame," according to a social media post from news outlet Main Street Nashville.
— 11:08 a.m.: Democratic leaders usher Jones and Pearson from the well into a side room, and the House galleries are cleared, according to a post by Main Street Nashville.
— 11:37 a.m.: The Main Street Nashville reporter tweets, "Members of both parties are separating out into their respective caucuses: Republicans on the House balcony outside, Democrats in the far corner. Five THP officers are just inside the chamber door."
— 11:47 a.m.: Sexton addresses the chamber as the House reconvenes. "Members, we all know, like a year or two ago, that tensions and frustrations can run high on the House floor. ... We have addressed those concerns before. At the same time there is a proper way to handle that and ... what was demonstrated on this House floor is not the proper way to do that."
— March 31: A day later, Sexton takes aim at Jones, Pearson and Johnson during an appearance on NewsTalk 98.7 FM in Knoxville. He likens the Democrats' actions in Nashville to that of the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Sexton calls the three lawmakers' action an "insurrection," which prompts furious protests from Tennessee House Democratic leaders.
— April 4: Gardenhire formally moves all further consideration of gun-related bills to 2024, both Republican measures to expand existing gun carry laws and those by Democrats seeking to require gun owners to secure their firearms securely in vehicles and boats as well as an "extreme risk" bill to keep firearms from people deemed mentally dangerous.
— April 6: Republicans vote to expel Jones and Pearson for rules violations following some six hours of testimony and debate. Efforts to expel Johnson fail, one vote short of the two-thirds vote of the House required. Seven GOP members vote against expelling Johnson, who later tells reporters she believes that may have been because she is white while the two ousted lawmakers are Black. The expulsions as well as Johnson's remarks about her having avoided being ousted make national news. The trio were quickly dubbed the Tennessee Three.
— April 7: During an appearance on Fox News, Sexton disputes Johnson's assertions of racism: "She didn't grab the bullhorn, she didn't scream and yell, she didn't lead the protest. ... Some of the members felt she was not as active a participant in leading the protest ... It's unfortunate. She's trying to put political racism in this, which there was nothing on this. They were all given due process."
President Joe Biden announces in a tweet that he held a virtual meeting with Jones, Pearson and Johnson and says, "Our country needs to take action on gun violence. To do that, we need more voices like theirs speaking out." Vice President Kamala Harris makes a surprise trip to Nashville where she, too, praises Jones, Pearson and Johnson and goes on to criticize GOP lawmakers's action. "That is not a democracy," she says.
— April 9: Jones and Pearson appear on NBC's "Meet the Press" and blast Sexton and House Republicans for expelling them while also sharing their concerns over firearms.
— April 10: Nashville Metro Council members reappoint Jones to his seat. "I want to welcome the people back to the people's House. I want to welcome democracy back to the people's house," Jones says later that afternoon following a swearing-in ceremony. "Last Thursday, members tried to crucify democracy, but today we have a resurrection." Sexton says, "What they did was try to hold up the people's business on the House floor instead of doing it the way that they should have done it, which they have the means to do."
— April 11: Republican Gov. Bill Lee calls for state lawmakers to pass a law aimed at preventing guns from getting in the hands of people who are a danger to themselves or others. The Republican governor, whose wife was friends with two of the adult victims, also announces he is signing an executive order aimed at strengthening background checks on firearm purchases.
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Georgia, and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-New York, send a letter urging U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to investigate whether the civil rights of Jones and Pearson were violated because they were removed from office and Johnson was not.
— April 13: After being reappointed to his seat by the Shelby County Commission, Pearson returns to the Capitol, where he is sworn in outside the building. He enters the House chamber amid cheers from attendees in the galleries and reads the names of victims killed in the March 27 attack — school head Katherine Koonce, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, custodian Mike Hill and students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-285-9480.