NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After two hours of questioning, Knoxville Democrat Gloria Johnson survived an expulsion vote in the Tennessee House on Thursday.
She held on to her seat by a single vote — 65 to 30. It's not clear immediately which Republicans voted to keep her. The House needed a simple majority to toss her out.
"We need to make sure that we stomp out this march to fascism," Johnson said in the hallway after the vote. "Absolute power corrupts absolutely. We cannot forget that America should absolutely be worried about what we've seen here today. They have expelled one member. I need to get in there and stand with my colleague. We're gonna fight hard to get him back. It might have to do with the color of our skin."
Earlier in the day, the House ousted Nashville Democrat Justin Jones by a vote of 72-25. Another lawmaker, Memphis Democrat Justin Pearson still faces an expulsion vote.
Johnson and Jones were stripped of House committees Monday. Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, was just seated and had no committee assignments. The trio also had their ID badges to get into the legislature turned off.
"I went to the well. I didn't speak," Johnson said. "As long as this microphone was on, I stood with them. As long as this microphone was on, they spoke and didn't yell. When the speaker called a recess, I think that's when the megaphone came out. I absolutely never yelled. This is about me as I understand it. I didn't speak in a voice than any other member of this floor. Make of it what you will."
Johnson simply stood on the floor while the disruption happened. She didn't bang on the desk or hold onto a sign as the House charges claimed.
John Mark Windle, a former legislator, defended Johnson on the House floor.
"Please come up and face the people and tell why you are perpetrating fraud against this woman in Tennessee," Windle said. "Show me where she pounded the podium, another outright lie. Someone contradict me in this body. Someone come up and set me straight. It's an absolute falsehood. Democracy is too precious for a supermajority to abuse it."
Rep. Gino Bulso, R-Brentwood, a member of the House for less than four months, claimed Johnson yelled and chanted. Bulso continued his same line of questioning for two hours. No other Republicans asked the Democratic lawmaker any questions.
