Tennessee’s Special Legislative Session Addresses Gun Violence

What's the story?

• Gov. Bill Lee called Tennessee lawmakers back to the state Capital to start a special session today to address gun violence. 
• The governor ordered the special session in the wake of The Covenant School shooting in Nashville in March, which killed six, including two close friends of Lee and his family. 
• While Lee is driving efforts to protect students and teachers, almost every Republican opposes his proposals. 

After the Nashville shooting

• After the mass shooting at Nashville's Covenant School, the governor summoned millions of dollars to strengthen school security, which Republicans largely approved. Following this, Lee asked for an order of protection law to restrict an individual's access to firearms temporarily. He received no support from the legislature. 
• Today, lawmakers will begin considering a lesser version of the law. Many expect Lee's proposal to fail as the Republican supermajority will likely not approve any legislation potentially infringing on gun ownership. 

Lee's proposal

• Lee proposed legislation allowing a judge to temporarily remove guns from those showing signs of possibly violent behavior, similar to a "red flag law." When introducing the bill, Lee said:

"I'm asking the legislature to bring forth thoughtful, practical measures. To strengthen our laws, to separate those dangerous people from firearms, while at the same time preserving the constitutional rights of the people of this state."

• Analysts said Lee kept his law vague enough to persuade Republican lawmakers, but many are pessimistic about it being successful. Democrats, on the other hand, are criticizing Lee for not making the law strict enough.

Other bills filed for the special session 

• Other proposals include creating a Class E felony for reckless handling or discharge of firearms in a motor vehicle; requiring the Department of Safety to provide firearm locks; encouraging gun owners to store guns safely in locked compartments; establishing a process to implement a mental health order of protection on a potentially dangerous person; increasing the penalty for failing to lock up a firearm safely, and more. 
• Various laws around coercing a minor with a firearm or to use a firearm will also be considered. 

What they're saying

• House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Tenn.) said:

"Everybody wants to keep focusing on the gun, but there's a lot of other things out there that we think that we should do and can do that would be very beneficial. The issue is the person. A lot of times we want to focus on the weapon, but we need to focus on the person."

• John Harris, executive director of the Tennessee Firearms Association, said: 

"Governor Lee has made no effort, publicly or otherwise, we're aware of to try to show that what he's proposing meets the standard that the Supreme Court has established, at least with respect to the Second Amendment proposals."

• Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Tenn.) criticized Republican lawmakers for their response to the proposal:

"Not only do they not care enough to actually have an adult conversation about it, clearly, they're going to try to use it as a tool or a vehicle to sneak through a whole bunch of other crappy stuff in three days."

• Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari (D-Tenn.) said:

"Tennesseans from all walks of life have made it clear: They want lawmakers to work together passing reforms that save children's lives by preventing gun violence before it happens."

What do you think of Gov. Lee's proposal?

-Jamie Epstein

(Photo credit: Flickr/Bill Lee)