Mayors from Tennessee’s four biggest cities asked state leaders to implement new “common sense” gun laws in a letter Wednesday.
Gun safety has has been a dominant topic during the latter half of the Tennessee General Assembly’s legislative session this year, pushed to the top of debate by a deadly shooting at a Nashville school in March. Republicans in the legislature have shown little urgency on the matter, even passing a measure Wednesday to protect gun companies from lawsuits.
Meanwhile, mayors from the state’s most-populous areas called for action Wednesday. A letter to the governor and Speakers of the state House and Senate was sent by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, Nashville Mayor John Cooper, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly, and Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon. Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland did not sign onto the letter.
In it, the group said Tennessee has the 12th-highest rate of gun deaths in the country over the last four years, citing data from the National Center for Health Statistics. They said nationwide data shows a clear correlation between the strength of a state’s gun laws and the rate of gun violence, but they did not cite a source for the information.
“Now is the moment to turn statements of support and sympathy into action,” reads the letter, referring to the March shooting at Nashville’s Covenant School that left dead three students and three teachers.
The group laid out 10 “common sense” proposals they want state officials to consider to ensure gun safety.
They include:
• background checks for all gun purchases
• extreme risk protection orders
• changes to the state’s concealed carry laws
• a minimum age of 21 to buy firearms
• new laws on gun storage
• limiting gun thefts from cars
• banning high-capacity magazines
• prohibiting convicted stalker from owning guns
• providing funds for school threat assessments
• mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns
“We can incorporate these policies into legislation immediately,“ reads the letter. “Working together, we can keep guns away from people who shouldn’t have them, and out of circumstances that are likely to result in more dead Tennesseans.”
Governor Bill Lee urged Assembly leaders Wednesday to bring legislation on his “Order of Protection” proposal that would limit gun sales to those who might hurt themselves or others. However, no GOP bill to carry the idea to law has been filed.
Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville) tweeted Wednesday night that he planned to bring to a bill that “would enact Extreme Risk Protection Orders” to the Senate floor Thursday.
“With votes from 17 of 33 senators, we could consider & pass this legislation,” he said. “There’s a way. But is there the will?”
