In an extraordinary act of political retaliation, Tennessee Republicans expelled two Democratic lawmakers, Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, from the state legislature for their role in a protest calling for more gun control after a deadly school shooting in Nashville.

Banishment is a power the chamber has used only a handful times since the civil war. Most state legislatures are able to expel members, but it is generally reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not as a weapon against political opponents

Two Democratic members expelled from Tennessee house over gun control protest