Governor Bill Lee announced Monday that he plans to call for a special session to continue the discussion to strengthen gun safety in Tennessee while preserving constitutional rights.
The session would begin August 21 and it follows calls for legislative action the Governor made after the Covenant school shooting that killed three children and three adults.
“There is broad agreement that action is needed and we’ll continue to listen to Tennesseans and pursue thoughtful, practical measures that strengthen their safety, preserve Second Amendment rights, prioritize due process protections, support law enforcement and address mental health,” said Governor Lee.
The Governor also encouraged Tennesseans to take part in the process by submitting feedback online.
During the legislative season, the General Assembly passed the governor’s gun safety legislation which provides new dollars to fund School Resource Officers (SRO) and post them in every Tennessee school.
It was the first of his proposed “three pillars” of school safety and it passed in the General Assembly with bipartisan support.
According to a recently released statewide poll by Vanderbilt, gun safety ranked third on topics voters felt should be state lawmakers’ top priority after being last or nearly last for 20 consecutive surveys. Specific gun regulations such as requiring gun owners to securely store their firearms to prevent unauthorized access and strengthened background checks saw bipartisan support.
An overwhelming majority of voters also supported a “red flag law” which is a gun violence protection law that would temporarily restrict or remove access to firearms from individuals who may be at high risk to themselves or others.
Tennessee currently does not have one in place. The current order of protection law in Tennessee protects victims of sexual assault, stalking, and domestic abuse.
Enhancing the order of protection was another safety measure Governor Lee proposed following the Covenant school shooting.
Tennessee Democrats took to Twitter following the announcement of a special session to express their support and hope that legislator will take action.
“It’s important the legislature take action — but not just some minimal action to provide political cover. We should take meaningful action that genuinely improves public safety. Pray for strength of spine and courage of heart. We’re going to need all of it,” said Senator Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, in a tweet.
“I’m hoping my colleagues will support a package of bills that will ACTUALLY get at the heart of gun violence,” said Senator Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, in a tweet. “Just know the @TNSenateDems (Tennessee Senate Democrats) and the @TNDemocrats (Tennessee House Democrats) are ready and willing to pass meaningful gun safety legislation and are working on a comprehensive gun safety legislative agenda.”
Governor lee will meet with legislators, stakeholders, and Tennesseans throughout the summer to discuss solutions ahead of the special session.
