(NewsNation) — Two Democratic lawmakers in Tennessee who were expelled by their Republican colleagues could return to their seats in the legislature following local meetings, at least temporarily.

Nashville’s Metropolitan Council could reinstate former state Rep. Justin Jones to the legislature immediately when it votes to fill the vacant position, while the other expelled representative, Justin Pearson, could be reappointed Wednesday at a Shelby County Commission meeting in his district.

The Tennessee House is in session Monday.

When were Jones and Pearson expelled?

Both Jones and Pearson were expelled last Thursday by the Tennessee legislature’s GOP supermajority for their roles in a protest for tighter gun control at the Capitol following a shooting at a private school in Nashville. Three adults and three children were fatally shot by a 28-year-old who was later killed by police.

Democrats Jones and Pearson, who are Black, were removed from the body with votes falling along party lines, while Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white Democrat, narrowly escaped expulsion.

When asked why she was spared, Johnson suggested race was a factor, telling reporters it “might have to do with the color of our skin.”

Republican leaders pushed back on this, saying the expulsions were not race-based and instead were necessary to avoid lawmakers’ disruptions of House proceedings being tolerated.

why were the lawmakers expelled?

NewsNation partner The Hill reports that Jones, Johnson and Pearson led chants on the House floor during the protests and used a bullhorn.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton called what the three did “unacceptable” and a violation of House rules of decorum and procedure, The New York Times wrote.

Per the Tennessee Constitution, House members can be punished for “disorderly behavior,” and even expelled with a two-thirds vote. However, this move is fairly rare — it’s a mechanism that’s only been used in the state a handful of times since the Civil War.

Expulsion has generally been reserved as a punishment for lawmakers accused of serious misconduct, not used as a weapon against political opponents.

“To those who here will cast a vote for expulsion, I was fighting for your children, too, to live free from the terror of school shootings,” Jones said in a speech to defend himself, per The Hill.

How could they be reinstated?

According to the New York Times, Jones and Pearson will be able to run again in special elections held to fill their currently vacant seats.

Local governing bodies can appoint temporary representatives — including the two expelled lawmakers — until these special elections are held.

One of these governing bodies is Nashville’s Metropolitan Council, which has a special meeting Monday afternoon to appoint a new representative.

Multiple members of Nashville’s Metro councilmembers confirmed with NewsNation local affiliate WKRN they will support Jones’ reappointment. Shelby County commissioners are set to meet Wednesday for Pearson.

Jones and Pearson have said they want to be reappointed and run in the elections.

Sexton’s spokesperson, Doug Kufner, indicated that whoever is appointed to the vacancies by the Nashville and Shelby County governments “will be seated as representatives as the constitution requires.”

How many people do the former lawmakers represent?

According to NPR, Pearson and Jones represent a combined constituency of about 130,000 people.

what has the reaction been to the expulsion?

Many were outraged at the ouster of Jones and Pearson. On social media, they and Johnson were dubbed the “Tennessee Three.”

President Joe Biden said the expulsion is “shocking, undemocratic and without precedent.”

“Rather than debating the merits of the (gun control) issue, these Republican lawmakers have chosen to punish, silence, and expel duly-elected representatives of the people of Tennessee,” Biden said.

During a last-minute trip to Tennessee Friday, Vice President Kamala Harris received applause and standing ovations when she said Jones, Pearson and Johnson were being silenced and stifled.

“Let’s understand the underlying issue is about fighting for the safety of our children,” Harris said. “It’s been years now where they are taught to read and write and hide in a closet and be quiet if there’s a mass shooter at their school, where our children, who have God’s capacity to learn and lead, who go to school in fear.”

Weighing in on Twitter, former President Barack Obama said what happened in Tennessee is “the latest example of a broader erosion of civility and democratic norms.”

“Silencing those who disagree with us is a sign of weakness, not strength, and it won’t lead to progress,” he wrote.

On its website, Human Rights Watch called GOP lawmakers’ punishment an “extreme overreach that constitutes a serious violation of fundamental rights.”

“The right to free speech and peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy that protects everyone’s human rights,” the organization said. “The expulsion of two members for exercising these rights, whether or not they violate rules of decorum, is an extreme overreach that constitutes a serious violation of fundamental rights.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.