Nashville Metro Council to Decide Fate of Former Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones and Memphis Rep. Justin Pearson at Special Meeting on Monday

Nashville’s Metro Council is set to hold a special meeting on Monday to decide whether to reinstate former Tennessee Rep. Justin Jones to his seat. Jones was expelled from the Republican-led Tennessee House last week for joining a protest on the House floor demanding stricter gun control.

The Shelby County Commission is also considering whether to reappoint Justin Pearson, who is from Memphis, to his seat. The Commission will meet Wednesday to discuss the matter. Mickell Lowery, the chairman of the Commission, said in a statement Sunday that he understands the need to respond to those who “transgressed the rules” of the House of Representatives, but believes Pearson’s expulsion was done in a hasty manner without consideration of other corrective action methods.

Jones and Pearson both said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that they intend to run in the special elections that will be held for the vacated seats in the coming months. If the Metro Council votes to reinstate Jones, he will be his own interim successor until the special elections are held.

The Metro Council’s decision to reinstate Jones and the Commission’s decision to reinstate Pearson will have a significant impact on the state’s political landscape. If the two are reinstated, it will be a victory for those who believe that the two were wrongfully expelled from the House. However, if the Council and Commission decide not to reinstate them, it will be a victory for those who believe that the two should be held accountable for their actions.