ATLANTA – State Representatives Sandra Scott (D-Rex), Kim Schofield (D-Atlanta) and Viola Davis (D-Stone Mountain) celebrate the reinstatement of Tennessee State Representative Justin Jones, one of the two Black Tennessee state legislators who were expelled from the Tennessee General Assembly, and call for the reinstatement of Tennessee State Representative Justin Pearson. Reps. Scott, Schofield and Davis issued the following statements condemning the expulsions and urging gun safety reform in Georgia:
“Each and every state representative deserves to fight the good fight on behalf of those who elected them and to not sit back and be silent about gun reform,” said Rep. Scott. “Three children and three adults were gunned down, and the people of Tennessee are afraid and scared for their children to go to school. Representatives Jones and Pearson only did what any legislator who cares about his or her community would do, and the Republican-led House of Representatives still expelled two of its Black lawmakers. I hope my colleagues in Georgia will have the same courage as these lawmakers and pass common sense gun legislation. We have introduced six pieces of great commonsense gun legislation that will make Georgia safer.”
“We are at the most pivotal time in history with constant mass shootings, rampant gun violence and the intentional dismantling of democracy in Tennessee,” said Rep. Schofield. “Voting to expel two Black state legislators for doing their jobs yet deciding not to remove the white female lawmaker has sent a message to the nation. In Georgia, we will not stand for this double standard, and we will keep fighting to enact gun safety reform.”
“These are sad days for our country,” said Rep. Davis. “Three Tennessee Democrats led a gun reform protest in the chamber in support of their constituency, and two Black legislators were expelled, leaving thousands of Tennessee residents without representation. We must stand with these legislators and for gun safety reform. As a veteran and supporter of the Second Amendment, we must stand for democracy against dictatorship, democracy against racism, democracy against laws and actions that decrease our constitutional rights to free speech and to petition our government.”
During the 2023 legislative session, Reps. Davis, Scott and Schofield introduced a legislative package to address gun violence in Georgia. These six bills will remain eligible for consideration during the 2024 legislative session next January.
House Bill 224 would require individuals in Georgia to report a lost or stolen firearm to law enforcement within five days. Failure to report the stolen firearm would result in a fine. House Bill 366 would require Georgia gun owners to store their firearms in a secure manner when not in use to prevent access by an unsupervised child and other unauthorized users, and violating this potential law would result in a misdemeanor.
House Bill 553 would provide for the issuance of temporary ex parte risk protection orders and risk protection orders to restrict the possession of firearms, ammunition and weapons carry licenses to prevent an individual from harming his or herself or others.
House Bill 554 would prohibit gun owners and dealers from providing or selling a semiautomatic assault weapon to a person under the age of 21 years. House Bill 555, or the Georgia Firearms and Weapons Act, would prohibit the possession of devices that attach to firearms to produce rapid fire.
House Resolution 56 seeks to recognize gun violence as a major public health problem and a leading cause of premature death in Georgia. This resolution would also encourage the Georgia House of Representatives to enact gun safety legislation that is backed by data and research.
*Editor’s Note: A photo of Reps. Scott, Schofield and Davis is attached.
Representative Sandra Scott represents the citizens of District 76, which includes portions of Clayton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2010 and currently serves as the Minority Cauc
us Chief Deputy Whip. She also serves on the Banks & Banking, Defense & Veterans Affairs, Human Relations & Aging, Insurance and Reapportionment and Redistricting committees.
Representative Kim Schofield represents the citizens of District 63, which includes portions of Fulton County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2017 and currently serves as the Secretary of the Urban Affairs Committee. She also serves on the Creative Arts & Entertainment, Health, Interstate Cooperation and Small Business Development committees.
Representative Viola Davis represents the citizens of District 87, which includes portions of DeKalb County. She was elected to the House of Representatives in 2018 and currently serves on the Defense & Veterans Affairs, Insurance, Interstate Cooperation, Natural Resources & Environment and Urban Affairs committees.
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