Less than a week after being expelled by his Republican counterparts, Democrat Rep. Justin Pearson was reappointed on Wednesday to serve as a representative for Tennessee House District 86.
The ousted lawmaker was given clearance to return to the state House chamber by the Shelby County Commission, which voted 7-0 in favor of overriding the GOP expulsion. Of the commission's 13 representatives, six - including Republicans - were absent from the vote.
The Wednesday vote effectively allows Pearson to resume his seat in the interim before a special election is held to formally fill the post. Both Pearson and state Rep. Justin Jones, who was reinstated to his respective seat on Monday, have vowed to run for reelection.
Following his reappointment, Pearson gave a heartfelt speech before supporters and praised the Shelby County Commission for its "courageous leaders."
"You can't expel hope. You can't expel justice. You can't expel our voice. And you sure can't expel our fight," Pearson said. "We look forward to continuing to fight. Continuing to advocate. Until justice rolls down like water. And righteousness like an ever-flowing stream. Let's get back to work."
Moments before the vote was finalized, Pearson and company marched from the National Civil Rights Museum in Memphis, Tennessee, to the Shelby County Commission building in a bid to demonstrate "what Democracy looks like."
The pair of expulsions recently drew nationwide attention to the Volunteer State, specifically highlighting the role that race played in the matter as both expelled lawmakers were Black. Only state Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, held onto her seat.
Dubbed the "Tennessee Three," the Democrats drew ire from their Republican counterparts after approaching the House podium as lawmakers were in between bills during the session, and proceeded to protest in favor of gun reform in the wake of the Nashville mass shooting that claimed the lives of six people - including three children.
Lawmakers in favor of the expulsions have stated that the punishment was necessary as the three Democrats broke procedural rules in leading a protests from the House floor. The expulsion case marks just the third time that such an initiative was brought against an official in the lower chamber since the 1800s.
Having drawn condemnation from the Biden White House, the case has since prompted a group of US Senate Democrats to call on the US Department of Justice to determine whether the state Republicans violated the US Constitution or federal civil rights laws by carrying out the expulsions of Jones and Pearson.