Tennessee becomes new front in battle for American democracy

Tennessee becomes new front in battle for American democracyA sign rests on the desk of Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville, in the House chamber as proceedings were brought to expel her from the legislature Thursday, April 6, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee has become a new front in the battle for the future of American democracy after Republicans expelled two Black lawmakers from the state Legislature for their part in a protest urging passage of gun-control measures. Webb questioned why Jones and Pearson would be expelled while Rep. Gloria Johnson, who is white, was not. Andrea Wiley, a lifelong Tennessee resident who lives and works in Pearson’s district, said she was embarrassed for the state. Fields reported from Washington, D.C. Associated Press writers Kimberlee Kruesi in Nashville, Tennessee, and Hilary Powell in Richmond, Virginia, also contributed to this report.