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Justin Jones (Tennessee politician)

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Justin Jones
Jones in 2023
Member of the Tennessee House of Representatives
from the 52nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 10, 2023
Preceded byHimself
In office
January 10, 2023 – April 6, 2023
Preceded byMike Stewart
Succeeded byHimself
Personal details
Born
Justin Shea Bautista-Jones

(1995-08-25) August 25, 1995 (age 29)
Oakland, California, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationFisk University (BA)
Vanderbilt University

Justin Shea Bautista-Jones (born August 25, 1995) is an American activist and politician from the state of Tennessee.[1] A member of the Democratic Party, he serves in the Tennessee House of Representatives for District 52, representing parts of Nashville. As of 2023, Jones is the second youngest member of the State House. He was expelled in April 2023 for violating decorum rules by participating in a gun control protest on the House floor. The Nashville Metro Council voted unanimously to reinstate Jones to serve as an interim representative pending a special election to fill the seat.[2][3]

Early life and education

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Jones was born on August 25, 1995, in Oakland, California to a Filipina mother and an African American father. His mother, Christine, raised Justin and his sister while putting herself through nursing school. He is the grandson of black, working-class grandparents from the South Side of Chicago and Filipino immigrants of Ibanag and Aeta ancestry who migrated to California.[4] He earned a Bachelor of Arts from Fisk University and enrolled at Vanderbilt Divinity School.[5] In 2019, he campaigned for the removal of a bust of Nathan Bedford Forrest from the Tennessee State Capitol.[6]

Early career

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In 2019, Jones announced his candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Tennessee's 5th congressional district against Jim Cooper in the 2020 elections.[7] He did not submit enough valid signatures to make the ballot.[8]

Jones was arrested for refusing to leave a rally held by Marsha Blackburn in October 2018.[9] He was charged in 2019 with assaulting Glen Casada, a member of the Tennessee House of Representatives, by allegedly throwing a drink, believed to be a hot coffee, at him.[10] He was also banned from the Capitol.[11] Casada later agreed to drop the charges.[12]

In 2020, Jones organized a 62-day sit-in protest for racial justice outside the state capitol after the murder of George Floyd. Among others, he was charged with assault, assault on an officer, and reckless endangerment after throwing a traffic cone into a moving truck's open driver-side window; Jones claimed that the driver was threatening him and using racial slurs.[13] He was arrested and faced a total of 14 charges.[14] Many of the charges were dropped in July 2021, but the reckless endangerment charges remained.[15] An assault charge regarding Jones allegedly hitting a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper with a bullhorn in July 2020 was dismissed by a judge in April 2023.[16]

Tennessee House of Representatives

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2022 election

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In 2022, Jones ran to succeed State Representative Mike Stewart as the member of the Tennessee House for the 52nd district.[17] Jones defeated Delishia Porterfield, a member of the Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, in the Democratic Party primary election.[18] He won the general election without opposition.[19][20]

Protest and expulsion

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Main article: 2023 Tennessee House of Representatives expulsions
Vote on expelling Justin Jones.
  Democrat voted against expulsion
  Republican voted for expulsion
  Republican voted against expulsion
  Republican didn't vote

After the March 2023 Covenant School shooting, Jones joined a protest alongside Gloria Johnson and Justin J. Pearson for gun control reform that disrupted House proceedings at the state capitol.[21] The demonstration violated the chamber's decorum rules, as the three members were not recognized to speak and utilized a bullhorn.[22] He was removed from his committees as a result.[23][24] On April 5, Rep. Jones filed a police report after he was allegedly assaulted on the House floor by Rep. Justin Lafferty.[25] Prior to his expulsion vote, Jones accused Representative Sabi "Doc" Kumar of putting a "brown face to white supremacy"; Kumar also stated that Jones had pointed in his face and told him, "Kumar, they will never accept you."[26]

The Tennessee House voted on April 6, to expel Jones, alongside Pearson, who are both black. Johnson, who is white, survived by one vote.[27] Johnson argued that her race was the reason she was not expelled,[28] while Republican members noted that she did not take the protest as far as Jones and Pearson.[29] The resolution, HR 65, was sponsored by Bud Hulsey and co-sponsored by Gino Bulso, Andrew Farmer, and Johnny Garrett; it passed with a vote of 72–25.[30] The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County set a meeting to discuss an interim appointment to the vacant District 52 on April 10.[31][32] Jones was appointed interim representative to his former seat by a unanimous vote of 36–0.[2]

Jones, Johnson, and Pearson speak with President Biden and Vice President Harris, at the White House in April 2023.

On April 24, Jones, alongside Justin Pearson and Gloria Johnson, were received by President Joe Biden at the White House.[33] During his appearance at Netroots Nation in July, Jones accused House leadership of fascism, and stated his belief that the heirs of the Ku Klux Klan run the state government.[34]

Aftermath

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On January 10, 2024, Jones became the first lawmaker penalized under a new rule that allows the Tennessee legislature to vote to silence, for the remainder of the day, any lawmaker who is ruled out of order. The rule was evoked against Jones after he described Speaker Cameron Sexton as “drunk with power.”[35]

President Joe Biden with Justin Jones at the White House in April 2023

On January 30, 2024, a Tennessee legislative staffer was placed on leave after confronting Jones in the hallway and yelling at him until another lawmaker intervened.[36]

2024 Democratic National Convention

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Jones, along with Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis and Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, were scheduled to speak at 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago, but were omitted with no explanation.[37]

Electoral history

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Tennessee's 52nd representative district Democratic primary, 2022[38]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Justin Jones 1,956 53.24
Democratic Delishia Porterfield 1,718 46.76
Total votes 3,674 100.0
Tennessee's 52nd representative district election results, 2022[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Justin Jones 8,596 100.0
Total votes 8,596 100.0

References

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  1. ^ "Representative Justin Jones". Tennessee General Assembly. April 4, 2023. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Crampton, Liz (April 10, 2023). "Nashville Council reinstates exiled Tennessee lawmaker". Politico. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  3. ^ Halpert, Madeline (April 10, 2023). "Justin Jones: Tennessee lawmaker reinstated three days after expulsion". BBC News. New York. Retrieved April 11, 2023.
  4. ^ "Justin Jones for TN 52". Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  5. ^ "Tennessee Aug. 4 election: Justin Jones, candidate , state House D-52". Tennessean.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  6. ^ Logan Langlois (July 28, 2022). "A Conversation With Justin Jones, Candidate for District 52 Representative – The Tennessee Tribune". Tntribune.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  7. ^ Elliott, Stephen (November 18, 2019). "Justin Jones makes his pitch". Nashville Post.
  8. ^ Elliott, Stephen (April 16, 2020). "Candidates left off ballot". Nashville Post.
  9. ^ Wallace, Harriet (November 5, 2018). "Vanderbilt student faces legal battle after being kicked out of Blackburn rally". WZTV.
  10. ^ "Nashville activist Justin Jones wants prosecutor off assault case". The Tennessean. July 25, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  11. ^ Allison, Natalie (March 1, 2019). "Activist Justin Jones banned from Capitol after alleged assault on Speaker Glen Casada". The Tennessean. Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  12. ^ "Glen Casada OKs dropping charges against activist Justin Jones". The Tennessean. November 13, 2019. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  13. ^ Mattise, Jonathan (June 24, 2021). "Tennessee activist charged in traffic cone toss into truck". Associated Press. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  14. ^ "Justin Jones, Tennessee State Representative, Urges Young People to Get Into Good Trouble". Teen Vogue. October 6, 2022. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  15. ^ Timms, Mariah (July 26, 2021). "Justin Jones 2020 People's Plaza arrests dismissed". The Tennessean. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  16. ^ "Assault charge dismissed against Nashville activist Justin Jones". WSMV4. April 13, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  17. ^ Elliott, Stephen (March 22, 2022). "Activist Justin Jones launches campaign for state House". Nashville Post.
  18. ^ Rau, Nate (August 5, 2022). "Activists-turned-candidates win legislative races". Axios.
  19. ^ Elliott, Stephen (November 9, 2022). "Nashville Democrats Elected to State Legislature". Nashville Scene.
  20. ^ "The Tennessean". The Tennessean.
  21. ^ Fawcett, Eliza; Cochrane, Emily (April 6, 2023). "Tennessee House Ousts Democratic Lawmaker: What You Need to Know". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  22. ^ Andone, Dakin; Young, Ryan; Simonson, Amy; Almasy, Steve (April 6, 2023). "Tennessee House of Representatives debating whether to expel 3 Democratic lawmakers". CNN. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  23. ^ Gainey, Blaise (April 3, 2023). "Republicans bar three Democrats from committees following their gun control protest on Tennessee House floor". wpln.org.
  24. ^ Sforza, Lauren (April 3, 2023). "Tennessee lawmakers stripped of committees after joining gun violence protests". The Hill. Nexstar Media Group. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  25. ^ Sauter, Danica (April 5, 2023). "Rep. Justin Jones files police report after alleged assault on House floor". Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  26. ^ "Indian Tennessee lawmaker 'never encountered a racial slur'". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings. April 7, 2023. Retrieved July 13, 2023.
  27. ^ Kruesi, Kimberlee; Mattise, Jonathan (April 6, 2023). "GOP lawmakers to vote on expelling Democrats in gun protest". Associated Press. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  28. ^ Noel, Melissa (April 10, 2023). "Tennessee Rep On Why She Wasn't Expelled Amid Calls To Reinstate Black Colleagues: "I'm A 60-Year-Old White Woman"". Essence. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  29. ^ McAlee, Hope (April 7, 2023). "Why this East TN rep voted not to expel Gloria Johnson". WATE. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  30. ^ "HR0065". Tennessee General Assembly. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  31. ^ Elamroussi, Aya (April 10, 2023). "Tennessee House expusion: Nashville sends Justin Jones back to the Tennessee House days after GOP lawmakers ousted him". CNN. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  32. ^ "Special Meeting Agenda, Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County, April 10, 2023". nashville.legistar.com. April 10, 2023. Archived from the original on April 10, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2023.
  33. ^ "'Tennessee three' meet with Biden at the White House". ABC News. Retrieved June 16, 2023.
  34. ^ "Netroots Nation 2023 - Friday Keynote - Alicia Garza and Rep. Justin Jones". Netroots Nation. July 14, 2023. Retrieved July 18, 2023.
  35. ^ "Tennessee's Legislature Can't Move Past the Bitter Clashes of 2023". The New York Times. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  36. ^ "Legislative staffer suspended after confrontation with 'Tennessee Three' member". AP News. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  37. ^ Wethington, Caleb (August 22, 2024). "'Tennessee Three' no longer speaking at DNC Thursday night, sources say". www.wsmv.com. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  38. ^ "State of Tennessee August 4, 2022 Democratic Primary" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. September 1, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  39. ^ "November 8, 2022 State of Tennessee – Totals State General" (PDF). Tennessee Secretary of State. December 13, 2022. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
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