Tennessee State House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, unveiled a new policy on the first day of the new legislative session that cuts public access to the gallery above the House floor.Sexton’s new policy requires the use of a ticket to sit in the gallery. The House distributed 99 tickets, with each lawmaker getting tickets to issue. The House’s rules provide its speaker with the ability to set guidelines, including the new ticketing policy.

Formerly expelled Representatives Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, will serve on multiple House committees during the special session on public safety this week.Tuesday morning House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, reappointed both to the Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee and Subcommittee. Jones will additionally serve on the Education Administration and Transportation Committees and Pearson will serve on the Education Instruction and Local Government Committees and the Elections and Campaign Subcommittee.Jones himself questioned whether he’d serve on any committees before the appointment and that led to a heated discussion when Sexton ruled the Nashville lawmaker out of order, without answering the question.

Representative Justin J. Pearson (D-Memphis) joined four members of the so-called “School Board Five” in a protest Friday outside the Memphis-Shelby County School Board retreat.Memphis-Shelby County Schools (MSCS) banned the five community activists last month following disruptions during a decision to put the district superintendent search on hold.That decision has since faced pushback from the Memphis community, including members of the activists’ families and friends. The “School Board Five” includes local activists Amer Sherman, LJ Abraham and Damon Morris, former teacher’s union president Tikelia Rucker, and former school board candidate Rachel Spriggs.Multiple board members have since expressed a desire to meet with the activists and lift the ban and Board Chair Althea Greene thanked Representative Pearson for helping move that process forward.

The expulsions of two Democratic lawmakers last week may not last long after all.Wednesday afternoon members of the Shelby County Commission unanimously voted to reappoint Representative Justin J. Pearson.  That vote followed a Metro Council move to reappoint Representative Justin Jones to his Nashville seat.