While Jones likely has the support of a majority of the council, it’s unclear if the entire body will agree to allow him back immediately. Under council rules, there must be a waiting period after an affirmative vote before a reinstated legislator can return to Capitol Hill. Only two council members need to object to a motion to suspend those rules.
A rally, planned near the Capitol before the council meeting, will feature national figures like the Rev. Al Sharpton.
The GOP also removed another lawmaker, Rep. Justin Pearson, from office for violating the same rules of decorum by approaching the chamber and speaking without the permission of the Republican leadership. The Memphis City Council will meet Wednesday to consider returning the 28-year-old Pearson to his seat.
A third protester, Rep. Gloria Johnson, survived despite attempts by the Republican Party to evict her as well. Johnson, 60, said she believes the vote was different for her because she is white and her counterparts are black. The trio led chants calling for changes to gun laws following a deadly mass shooting in Nashville.
The Democrats, nicknamed the «Tennessee Three,» have become national heroes of the left for their unmatched partisan rebuke, appearing frequently on television and visiting Vice President Kamala Harris, who traveled to Nashville last week to show her support for gun safety measures.
the trio even won a segment on “Saturday Night Live” over the weekend.
The story has energized the national Democratic Party that is eager to bring young, uncommitted voters to the polls for a year without many high-profile elections.