Tennessee Governor urges ‘Public Safety’ session amid Democratic push for gun control.
Tennessee Republican Governor Bill Lee has called a special session to address “public safety” in response to the push for more gun control by Democrats in the state.
Get ready for an important event happening on August 21! This special session comes after a tragic incident at The Covenant School in Nashville, where a shooter who identified as transgender took the lives of six people. Governor Lee has been advocating for a variation of a red flag law to prevent such incidents in the future. In his proclamation this week, Lee stated that the session would address mental health issues, gun storage guidelines, human trafficking, and “temporary mental health orders of protection.”
“As our nation faces evolving public safety threats, Tennessee remains vigilant and is taking continued action to protect communities while preserving the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Governor Lee in a statement.
While Republican leadership in the legislature has largely opposed red flag legislation, Governor Lee’s office has clarified that his proposal should not be considered a red flag proposal.
“To be clear, the Governor does not support red flag laws. His proposal is different from any law across the country – it would strengthen Tennessee’s existing law around the order of protection process for cases of domestic violence and enhance support for law enforcement, ensure due process, require the highest burden of proof, and boost mental health support,” Press Secretary Jade Byers told The Daily Wire in June.
Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and House Speaker Cameron Sexton, both Republicans, have indicated that any red flag-style legislation would be a non-starter.
“From a philosophical standpoint, I have always opposed what is commonly referred to as a red flag, order of protection bill, again, because I deem them to be ineffective,” Johnson said. “Certainly in the wake of the Supreme Court decision, known as the Bruen decision, I think they are constitutionally suspect at best, blatantly unconstitutional at worst.”
“As far as the enhanced orders of protection, red flag laws, yeah, you’re not going to see us go down that road,” Sexton said on Tuesday.
Some Republicans have urged the release of the manifesto from The Covenant School shooter before the special session, while the Tennessee Executive Republican Committee has expressed their opinion that the session should be canceled.
The announcement coincides with a bus tour by Democrats in the state to raise awareness about gun violence, with its final stop in Nashville as the session begins.
“Since Republicans gained controlling power, the Tennessee General Assembly has loosened gun laws and abolished common sense gun safety reforms, such as mandatory gun safety classes and background checks for going armed, gun permits, and restrictions on carrying in many public places,” stated a press release from the Democratic Senate caucus.
Conservative groups in the state have strongly opposed any move towards red flag laws.
“Governor Lee’s proclamation makes it abundantly clear that he is on board with the long-standing calls from notable Democrats like Justin Jones and Joe Biden to enact gun control in Tennessee,” wrote John Harris of the Tennessee Firearms Association. “Rather than just being candid and stating he wants a Red Flag law, Bill Lee urges for the passage of a ‘temporary mental health order of protection’ as he did in April 2023 shortly after the Covenant School murders.”
The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition, a conservative policy and advocacy group, has previously urged Lee to cancel the special session and has vocally opposed red flag laws. In a statement following Lee’s proclamation, they pointed to aspects of the proclamation that would address human trafficking.
“As we’ve noted before, while noting certain areas of disagreement on certain other issues, we’ve had very productive meetings with Governor Lee and his staff on this issue, making a mutual commitment to work together in the furtherance of destroying child and human trafficking,” said a statement from the group.
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