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Nashville News Update
NASHVILLE News Update | During the pandemic, newcomers kept arriving--a thousand a month, by some estimates. They were drawn by the simple allure of Music City, where singer-songwriters could go big with their ambitions and the whiteness of country music was a selling point.
But cracks have begun to appear. Two Democratic legislators have been expelled from the Tennessee House for joining a gun reform protest. Mark Strassmann reports.
TN State Rep. Justin Jones reinstated The Nashville Metro Council unanimously voted Monday to reinstate state Rep. Justin Jones, whose expulsion by the legislature last week sparked widespread outrage.
The Tennessee House voted to kick out Jones and fellow Democratic lawmaker Justin Pearson for leading protests on the chamber floor demanding gun reform after the deadly shooting at Covenant School. Both lawmakers are Black and were the youngest members of the chamber. Their action was condemned as retaliation for their activism.
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris both rushed to Nashville to meet with the young lawmakers, who were invited to return to the legislature.
According to state law, local governing bodies have the power to reappoint the ousted legislators. The Shelby County Board of Commissioners, which chose Pearson's replacement, will meet Wednesday to consider doing just that. If they do, he will be back in the House as an interim lawmaker. Special elections will be held later this year to permanently reclaim their seats.
TN State Rep. Justin Pearson reinstated The state lawmaker who helped lead a gun control protest on the House floor has been reinstated to his seat. Memphis Democrat Justin Pearson was sworn back into office on Thursday. He and Nashville colleague Gloria Johnson were removed from their seats last week after protesting a gun control bill in the wake of a school shooting. Both argued that the legislation was unconstitutional. The pair's expulsion was controversial and drew criticism from Democratic leaders including Joe Biden and Kamala Harris.
Both Pearson and Jones will be up for re-election this fall. Pearson has already won the primary in his heavily-Democratic Memphis district and will face independent Jeff Johnston in the general election in August. Jones's district wends into parts of Nashville and Memphis. She is also up for re-election in 2024.
Local legislative bodies have the power to appoint interim state representatives and Shelby County officials decided to reinstate Pearson and Jones. Tennessee House Republicans have said they'll welcome any legislators returned to their seats by county-level governments, but that special elections must be held before the two can officially retake their old posts.
TN State Rep. John Pugh reinstated The Nashville City Council has unanimously voted to reinstate one of the two state representatives expelled last week for joining a gun control protest on the House floor. CBS News senior national correspondent Mark Strassmann reports.
Gloria Johnson, a White female Democrat from Knoxville, also joined Jones and Pearson in the protest but she was spared by a narrow vote to avoid expulsion. She says she was not treated the same as the two Black legislators who were expelled because of their protest.
Hundreds of formerly incarcerated people who are serving life sentences for murder and other crimes want their voting rights restored. That's why they're suing Tennessee.
John Pugh, a former Nashville city commissioner and a Tennessee state representative, died Thursday at age 81. He was a United States Army veteran who served during World War II and the Korean War. He was also a member of the American Legion and a volunteer with Meals on Wheels. He was a resident of Murfreesboro and was preceded in death by his wife, Jo Daniel Pugh; son, Ronnie Pugh; sister, Virginia Brewer Pugh Hollis; and brother, Robert "Buster" Pugh.
TN State Rep. Jason Carter reinstated The family of a man on death row hopes Gov. Bill Lee will stop the execution. The family has sued the state to halt the process.
The U.S. Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals has restored most of the claims Jason Carter filed against investigators in his mother's murder case, but he has dropped allegations against his father, Bill Carter. His attorneys say he is going to focus on addressing unconstitutional actions against the family by investigators.
A Nashville man has been arrested for stealing items from a local Walmart. Police said he used fake identification to get into the store. He is accused of stealing more than $1,500 worth of products and other items. The incident occurred Thursday night at the North Nashville location. Surveillance video captured the suspect and the vehicle. Nashvillenewspress is also accused of stealing from a Nordstrom in Green Hills. The investigation is ongoing. More details are expected to be released at a later time.

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