On Tuesday morning, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called on state lawmakers to enhance the current order of protection by including a red flag law.
“The past two weeks have not only challenged those who were involved in this from a law enforcement standpoint, it’s challenged every Tennessean,” said Governor Lee. “The truth is that we’re facing evil itself and we can’t stop evil, but we can do something.”
A red flag law is a gun violence prevention law that allows the state court to order the temporary removal of firearms from a person who may be at extreme risk to themselves or to others. Tennessee currently does not have one in place.
Governor Lee talked about his recent gun safety legislation proposal that passed with a bipartisan 95 to 4 vote. The legislation would invest dollars to ensure every public school in Tennessee has access to armed security, to make a grant that would make significant security upgrades to both public and non-public schools across the state, and to increase funding for school-based mental health resources.
He said that the vote is encouragement that it is possible for people to come together to get something done.
“We should be very serious about real solutions and about getting real solutions across the finish lines. I look forward to working with the General Assembly to do just that. It’s possible to get this done. We should set aside our differences and accomplish something that Tennesseans want us to get accomplished.”
The governor asked for the General Assembly to bring forth a new order of protection law. Tennessee’s current order of protection law protects victims of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic abuse. Governor Lee intends for this new order of protection law to provide the broader population cover from those who may be a danger to themselves or to others and to be finished by the end of the current legislative session.
Additionally, Governor Lee signed an executive order that will set a 72-hour window for reporting new criminal activity. The order will also require that the courts submit timely and accurate information directly to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and will require the TBI to examine the current process for purchasing firearms, look at operational barriers and sharing information, and to provide a report within 60 days of any issues that exist in the current process.
“I’m asking for 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,” said Governor Lee.
