Tennessee governor to address gun reform, public safety in special session

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) is set to call a special session of the state legislature to address gun reform and public safety following a school shooting in Nashville nearly a month ago.

During the special session, which Lee’s office announced Friday, the governor hopes to pass legislation that will “strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.”

“After much input from members of the General Assembly and discussions with legislative leadership, we have decided to call a special session to continue our work to protect Tennessee communities and preserve constitutional rights,” Lee said in a statement.

“There is broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves or others should not have access to weapons,” he continued. “We also share a strong commitment to preserving Second Amendment rights, ensuring due process and addressing the heart of the problem with strengthened mental health resources.”

Lee said he looks forward to working with the legislature to “pursue thoughtful, practical solutions to keep Tennesseans safe.”

The Republican governor made a pitch to lawmakers earlier this week for an “order of protection” law — which would take firearms away from those deemed a risk to others.

“Tennesseans are asking us to set aside politics and personal pride,” he told state lawmakers on Wednesday. “They are depending on us to do the right thing.”

Despite the effort, the legislature adjourned Friday with no action on gun reform. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D) lamented that he and his colleagues did not take up any bills regarding public safety, calling it a “complete breach of our legislative duty.”

“It’s truly unfortunate that we’re rushing to adjourn our state legislature on only the 27th legislative day of the session when we’re allowed 90 legislative days per session and have not taken up a single gun safety bill,” he tweeted on Friday. “This failure is a complete breach of our legislative duty.”

Renewed calls for action against gun violence come after three children and three adult staff members died from gunshot wounds last month when a 28-year-old armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun opened fire in a private Christian school.