I still can’t believe we’re here.
The Tennessee House of Representatives chose last week to expel two young Black men from their body for a brief breach of decorum related to the urgency of responding to gun violence in Nashville.
As you know, I try to send a newsletter for every Metro Council meeting. Well, I’m excited to tell you that we have a Metro Council meeting tomorrow night—a specially called meeting for the express purpose of voting to elect an interim representative to fill the seat from which Rep. Justin Jones was expelled.
What the state legislature did was an affront to basic democratic principles and lives lost.
I will be voting to return Rep. Justin Jones to the State House, and it’s already clear that a large majority of my colleagues will, too. I appreciate Vice Mayor Shulman’s swift and decisive action to make this both possible and a priority.
Here’s how I think tomorrow will go:
- 3:30pm—rally at Public Square
- 4:30pm—special called Metro Council meeting
- 5:00pm—march to state capitol
After that, it will be up to the Republicans in the state house whether Mr. Jones regains his title of Rep. Jones.
And after tomorrow?
We need to keep working toward a safer Tennessee. Gun violence is the number one killer of children in Tennessee, and we must do something about it.
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Freddie O'Connell
Metro Council, District 19
Mayoral Candidate, 2023
615-260-0005
