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Special Session Day 2: GOP Clips 52 Bills, Considers Three

Mothers of Covenant School children sob after being kicked out of a House Committee hearing for holding 8.5-x 11-inch pieces of paper with messages. (Photo: John Partipilo)

The Senate Judiciary Committee turned into the Grim Reaper Tuesday, killing a long list of bills designed to respond to the Covenant School mass shooting while allowing only three to pass — setting the tone for the rest of the special session.

The panel’s decision to table 52 other bills, many dealing with juvenile justice, red-flag proposals, and mental-health reporting requirements are effectively dead for the session, according to Judiciary Committee Chairman Todd Gardenhire.

Measures that passed — and could be the only ones that become law this session — came from Gov. Bill Lee’s office: Senate Bill 7085 dealing with safe storage of weapons and allowing sales tax breaks on safes and gunlocks; SB 7086 codifying the governor’s executive order on gun background checks, which requires court clerks to notify the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation about felony convictions within three business days instead of 30; and SB7088, requiring the TBI to make an annual report on human trafficking.

This seems clearly orchestrated to do the absolute bare minimum, and it’s clear that the Legislature isn’t in a position to take gun safety seriously right now, and it’s damn depressing.

– Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville

The full Senate could take a vote on them Wednesday or Thursday. 

House bills that weren’t considered Thursday won’t be taken up by the Senate Judiciary and won’t be sent to the Senate floor, according to Gardenhire.

“The House is the House and the Senate is the Senate,” he said.

Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Nashville Democrat, said afterward the meeting had been carefully plotted.

“This seems clearly orchestrated to do the absolute bare minimum, and it’s clear that the Legislature isn’t in a position to take gun safety seriously right now, and it’s damn depressing,” Yarbro said.

Asked about that comment, Gardenhire said, “Sen. Yarbro is always welcome to his conspiracy theories, and I’ll let him speak for himself.”

The Chattanooga Republican said the other bills on Tuesday’s calendar deserved a “proper hearing,” which would have required more time than is being allowed in this week’s special session.

Earlier in the day, Bishop Aaron Marble, who led a group of ministers at the legislative office building Tuesday, expressed disappointment in the legislature’s actions but maintained some semblance of hope.

“We’re committed to understanding that the road to justice and freedom is a long one,” Marble said.

He pointed out “common sense” is being ignored and defeated, but he said the small number of bills likely to pass could help lead to a coalition that could put pressure on lawmakers.

A Senate Commerce and Insurance Committee meeting Tuesday morning wound up being a harbinger of things to come when it tabled a bill designed to require TennCare to cover mental health treatment the same way it would handle drug and alcohol abuse.

Committee Chairman Paul Bailey wrapped up the meeting in less than a minute as the bill’s sponsor, Sen. Shane Reeves, R-Murfreesboro, requested the matter be postponed until January 2024.

Reeves said afterward the “complex” bill needs more work.

“We’re trying to do what we normally do in four months in four days, and this bill deserves a little more than a quick discussion today,” Reeves said.

Senate Minority Chairman Raumesh Akbari said she had hoped the legislature would do more than postpone bills until next year, considering the sacrifices lawmakers made to prepare for the special session.

“I don’t know if this is the beginning of things to come, but again I want us to do what the people sent us here to do,” said Akbari, a Memphis Democrat.

Democrats have been calling for restrictions on military-style weapons since the school shooter used an AR-15 to kill six people; tighter background checks on gun purchases; a red-flag law to enable confiscation of guns from mentally unstable people; and a gun storage requirement.

Bailey, chairman of the Commerce and Insurance Committee, pointed out his panel takes up “complex” bills that require “full consideration and due diligence.” He could not speak to whether his committee’s action would be indicative of other committees, and he pointed out Reeves’ bill is not dead, even though the sponsor said he plans to bring it back in 2024.

In a mid-day press conference, Rep. Harold Love, D-Nashville, pointed out the Legislature wouldn’t have been called to a special session if not for the shooting that claimed six lives at the Covenant School in Green Hills. He was disappointed that lawmakers are “milling around” in the halls for three or four days and passing only a handful of bills that could have been taken up in January.

Covenant Families Action Fund, a group made up of parents and family members from the school, issued a statement Tuesday saying it supports secure storage of guns, including a provision to give away gun locks, as well as tax exemptions.

“We still have a ways to go today,” said David Teague, father of a Covenant student. “We want to encourage sane and reasonable people to engage in the political process by voting in primaries, seeking office, and supporting those who want to focus on solutions, and not foster anger and division.”

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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Special Session Day 2: Reps. Pearson and Jones Get Icy Reception from Speaker Sexton

State Capitol (Photo: Tennessee State Government)

The Tennessee House of Representatives chamber was hot Tuesday but the vibe from the Speaker’s seat was icy cold at times, particularly when aimed at two-thirds of The Tennessee Three. 

The House returned to business Tuesday morning after officially gaveling in the special session on public safety late Monday afternoon. That session brought some contentious rules from Republican lawmakers that sought to limit protests and limited what lawmakers could and could not say. 

Back on the House floor Tuesday at 9 a.m., lawmakers organized the business of the session — what bills were assigned to committees and which legislators would comprise those committees. 

The road to the moment was violent and turbulent. A Nashville school shooting claimed the lives of three nine-year-old students and three adults. Police also shot and killed the shooter. Protestors swarmed the Capitol in April, begging and shaming lawmakers for action on gun reform. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee promised a special session on gun violence that many of his own party did not support. Once called, busloads of protestors and gun-reform advocates piled into buses to Nashville, where they rallied, marched, chanted, and sang. 

While the moment in the House chamber Tuesday was serious, lawmakers are people, too. Discussing unfinished business, Rep. Joe Towns (D-Memphis) maybe took liberties with procedure and addressed an elephant in the room. 

“Look, I know Tennessee is not broke,” Towns began. “We’ve got plenty of money. Why is it so hot in this joint? This building is burning up.” 

To that, House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) said his office had been working with maintenance staff to get the air conditioning turned back on in the building. Towns reminded the Speaker that Tennessee is a right to work state and that “we need to fire somebody.” The light-hearted comment brought chuckles in the chamber. 

Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) did not get such a straight answer or warm reception from Sexton when he asked a similar question later in the floor session.

Pearson was sworn back in to his office Monday. That came after he and Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) were expelled from the House earlier this year for a floor protest advocating gun reform. The national attention of the act brought heat to Sexton and the state GOP, and Jones and Pearson would continue to be a thorn in their sides. 

If this wasn’t enough to cool the relationship between Pearson and Sexton, consider that two weeks ago, Pearson flatly called Sexton a “racist” in a Memphis Flyer story. To say the least, an exchange between the two Tuesday was contentious.

“I know we were talking earlier about air conditioning and things like that, but we’ve had lots of people coming to the Capitol to protest, and have their voices heard in this extreme heat and in this weather, and the water fountains here at the at the Capitol seem to have been turned off or not working,” Pearson said to Sexton, asking for information. 

“That’s an inaccurate statement; that is not accurate,” Sexton said, quickly. “We’ve checked. That’s been a misrepresentation.” He, then, quickly moved on to recognize another lawmaker. 

Not satisfied with the answer, however, Pearson later asked Sexton to clarify what he meant about the water fountains. Sexton said to his knowledge the water fountains were never turned off. On its face, the exchange seems simple. But just under the surface were hints at, perhaps, some possible GOP conspiracy to make the Capitol uncomfortable for those seeking gun control. Sexton’s quick and icy demeanor on the question seemed to hint that he knew an accusation lurked beneath the question.  

Later, during an exchange with Jones, Sexton’s icy demeanor returned, this time showing him flex his legislative muscle with procedural rules on topics he seemingly wanted to avoid. 

“I’m still seeking an answer as to whether members who were stripped of committee [assignments] will be restored to their rightful committees that you removed them from on April 3rd,” Jones began. Sexton immediately gaveled down the question, saying “you’re out of order” before Jones finished speaking. 

Sexton moved on quickly but Jones asked why his question was out of order and why Sexton silenced his microphone. Instead of replying himself, Sexton let the House clerk explain to Jones that the body was on unfinished business and his question fell outside the scope of discussion. 

“So members can ask about the heat in the building, but I I can’t ask about committees [that] constituents sent me here to represent them on?” Jones asked. ”Is that that what you’re telling me?”

Sexton, again, dodged the question, allowing the clerk to explain again about rules, finally explaining that “the House Speaker makes rulings on what is in order and not in order.” Sexton quickly moved on to other business. 

If anything, the exchanges set the tone for what promises to be a turbulent session, even one so limited to a narrow slate of topics (that does not include gun reform). And it all happened before any real discussion began on the actual, meaty topics before the Tennessee General Assembly. 

Committees have been scheduled on both the House and Senate sides of the legislature. Many of them are set to get underway Wednesday. The House isn’t set to meet for floor votes until noon Thursday.

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Special Session Day 1: House GOP Passes Rules Restricting Speech, Limiting Public Access

Mothers of children who attend Nashville’s Covenant School in the Tennessee House gallery on the first day of the 2023 special legislative session. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Tennessee House Republicans passed a set of rules allowing them to silence lawmakers deemed disruptive, off-topic or who “impugn the reputation” of another member during this week’s special legislative session. 

The new rules are an attempt by Republican lawmakers to find a way to stop Reps. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, and Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, from disrupting proceedings without expelling them or running afoul of the state constitution, which requires the two men to be able to vote in person on the House floor. 

“The rules that are being put forward now are to limit freedom of speech,” Pearson said during the debate over them. “It’s not just limiting the freedom of speech of representatives. You are limiting the freedom of speech of our constituents.”

Earlier this year, Jones and Pearson used a bullhorn to take over the House floor and protest a lack of response to gun violence following a mass shooting that killed six at the Covenant School in Nashville.

Republican lawmakers expelled the two for their actions, but local governments and voters swiftly returned the two men to their House seats, removing expulsion as a deterrent.

Gov. Bill Lee called this week’s legislative in response to the Covenant shooting but has restricted lawmakers from discussing any gun-related legislation.

The rules that are being put forward now are to limit freedom of speech. It’s not just limiting the freedom of speech of representatives. You are limiting the freedom of speech of our constituents.

– Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis

Lee will allow lawmakers to discuss 18 topics, which include ways to strengthen criminal justice laws and address mental health issues. He will also enable them to discuss a red-flag law to remove guns from this deemed a risk, but no House or Senate Republican has sponsored such a bill. 

Democrats have criticized the special session for not allowing lawmakers to debate some form of gun control. The Covenant shooter had three guns in their possession, including an AR-15 military-style rifle. 

As part of the special session and new rules, Republican lawmakers restricted public access to the Capitol building, legislative offices and House floor. 

A cap was set for how many people could enter the Capitol, and members of the public won’t be allowed to carry signs while in the House gallery. 

House Republicans also closed off one of the two galleries from the public, allowing only credentialed guests like media members, legislative staff and lobbyists. 

In the past, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, could cut off a lawmaker’s microphone if he determined they were disruptive, off-topic or personally insulted a House member when commenting or asking a question during the debate of a bill.

Sexton had exercised this authority several times with Jones, Pearson, and the occasional Republican lawmaker. But, the new rules allow Sexton and the Republican supermajority to escalate the punishments.  House Majority Leader William Lamberth. (Photo: John Partipilo)

“Stick to the bill, stick to the policy,” House Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said advocating for the rules. “Let’s stay on the issue and not insult each other.”

The rules give House lawmakers three strikes on disruptions. A House member can’t debate or make remarks on the floor for three days after the first time Sexton deems them disruptive. On the second offense, it’s six days of silence and a third offense results in a ban for the rest of the special session. 

When a member is off-topic, the rules give lawmakers four strikes before they are silenced for the rest of the special session. On the first offense, the lawmaker’s mic is cut off. On the second offense, the speaker won’t recognize the lawmaker on the House floor for three days, and on the third offense, it’s no recognization for six days. 

When a lawmaker “impugns the reputation of another member” the House will take a vote on remark without debate. If the House determines the lawmaker insulted a member the same four-strike rules as being off-topic apply.

House Rules of Extraordinary Session 8.1.23

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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GOP Senators Put Crime, Not Guns, At Center of Special Session

State Capitol (Photo: Tennessee State Government)

Tennessee Republican Senators promised to get tough on crime, not on guns, in Gov. Bill Lee’s special session, slated to begin next Monday. 

Lee promised such a session at the end of this year’s regular meeting of the Tennessee General Assembly, especially after his fellow GOP members failed to bring any gun reform measures before the House or Senate. Lee urged an expansion of an existing order of protection law to include mental health protections in domestic violence cases. Gun-friendly GOP members quickly deemed it a “red flag” law and promised not to bring any such law for review. 

Last week, Lee issued his official proclamation for the special session, which laid out his goals for the session (see a full list below). Much of Lee’s slate of bills focuses on mental health, but there’s no specific mention of any law on an expanded order of protection. 

GOP Senators set out their plans for the governor’s session Monday morning. Their ideas increase penalties for gun crimes, offer help to local law enforcement, and more. Speaker Pro Tempore Rep. Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin) really summed up the slate of proposals in a Monday statement.

“So much of the conversation about this special session has centered around guns, but inanimate objects are not the problem,” Haile said. ”Violent criminals are the problem.”

Bills from two lawmakers who represent Shelby County (or parts of it) — Sen. Paul Rose (R-Covington) and Sen. Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) — increase penalties for a slate of gun crimes. 

Here’s what they propose: 

• Enhance the penalty to a Class C Felony for the offense of selling, offering to sell, loaning or transferring a firearm to a person knowing that the person is prohibited by law from owning or purchasing a firearm or ammunition

• Enhance the penalty to Class C felony for possession of a stolen firearm or ammunition

• Enhance the penalty to a Class B felony for domestic violence offenders in possession of a firearm or ammunition 

• Enhance the penalty to a Class C felony for possession of a firearm with obliterated or altered serial number

• Add possession of ammunition to the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon

“Crime in Memphis is out of control, and this special session is an opportunity to look at how the state can help address crime and protect our citizens,” said Taylor. 

Haile’s proposal would increase the penalty for threatening mass violence from a misdemeanor to a felony.

”This legislation does not go after inanimate objects,” Haile said. “Instead, it goes after criminals who intend to do significant harm to a group of other people, regardless of if the violence could be committed with a firearm, vehicle, bomb, or other weapon.”

Sen. Page Walley (R-Savannah) wants to allow law enforcement and courts to be notified when “a patient who lives in their community is involuntarily committed or released from a psychiatric institution.” 

“Currently the way the law is written, mental health institutions only alert law enforcement about involuntary commitments in the jurisdiction of the institution,” said Walley. “However, if the patient lives in a different county than the location of the mental health facility, then law enforcement in the patient’s county is uninformed.”

Walley is also proposing a five-year mandatory minimum sentence for using a firearm in a crime. Unlike federal law, Walley said, Tennessee has no mandatory minimum for such a crime. 

Here’s a full list of Gov. Lee’s proposed laws for the upcoming special session: 

• Codification of EO 100 and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Report Implementation: Requires reporting of accurate, complete, and timely records from court clerks to the TBI within 72-hours and requires electronic submissions of dispositions and expungements to the TBI

• TennCare Mental Health Coverage Waiver: Directs TennCare to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow federal matching funds for Medicaid to cover services for mental illness and substance use disorders at institutions of mental diseases

• Addressing Mental Health Workforce Challenges: Budget initiatives that prioritize opportunities to grow and retain mental health professionals in the state

• Reforms for Mental Health: Expand access to mental health treatment by eliminating certain collaborative practice requirements for Advanced Registered Practice Nurses with psychiatric training

• Strengthening the Identification of Individuals Arrested for Felonies: Provides for the collection of DNA at the time of an arrest for all felonies

• Human Trafficking Report: Resolution directing TBI to report on the state of human trafficking in Tennessee

• Promoting Safe Storage: Eliminates taxes on firearm safes and safety devices, provides free gun locks, expands safe storage training in state-approved safety courses, and creates a public service announcement to promote safe storage

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GOP Leaders Predict Tough Road Ahead for Governor’s Gun Safety Proposal

Gov. Bill Lee, surrounded by Republican lawmakers during an April 3rd press conference at which Lee announced he would direct funding towards school safety measures. (Photo:John Partipilo)

The governor’s proposal enabling law enforcement to confiscate weapons from unstable people is likely to go down in flames during a special session.

Tennessee’s House and Senate speakers forecast a harsh reception for Gov. Bill Lee’s plan Wednesday in an interview with reporters.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton termed the governor’s idea floated at the end of the regular session a “red flag” law and said “it won’t pass the House.” The governor has avoided the term “red flag.”

Even though the governor’s plan would require a due process hearing before a judge to determine whether someone is a danger to themselves or others, Sexton said, “You get to a point where it looks like one whether or not it is. … Most red flag laws [are] an order of protection that doesn’t provide mental health services for people on the backside. We’re not gonna pass a red flag law.”

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, who serves as Senate speaker, would not say the governor’s plan is dead in the Senate but noted it will be difficult to pass.

The governor is set to call a special session for Aug. 21 for the Legislature to consider measures to stop mass shootings in the wake of The Covenant School incident in which six people, including three 9-year-old students, were killed at the Green Hills private Christian school.

Most red flag laws is an order of protection that doesn’t provide mental health services for people on the backside. We’re not gonna pass a red flag law.

– House Speaker Cameron Sexton

McNally said Wednesday he likes the governor’s initial proposal and believes methods to quell mass shootings need to be addressed. But he couldn’t say whether it would be more difficult to pass such a measure in the Senate or House.

“I think it’s gonna be an uphill battle both ways. I don’t think it’s an impossible hill to climb,” McNally said.

The lieutenant governor noted he “hopes” the Legislature doesn’t wind up “not doing anything.”

A spokeswoman for Gov. Lee didn’t address the Legislature’s opposition Wednesday, instead saying he supports “practical, thoughtful solutions to keep communities safe and protect constitutional rights.” 

She added his office worked with lawmakers in advance of a special session to discuss “meaningful proposals” that would do both. 

The proclamation calling the special session is expected to be made toward the targeted August date. 

Republicans haven’t proposed other solutions while Democrats, such as Sen. Heidi Campbell of Nashville, are pushing a list of restrictions ranging from orders of protection to tighter background checks, an end to loopholes for gun show sales and bans on bump stocks and AR-15s.

House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons of Nashville: The GOP supermajority is “kowtowing to extremists and ignoring the pleas of Tennessee families by proposing toothless and redundant laws.” (Photo: John Partipilo)

Sexton, in contrast, said he is working on legislation that could enable police to investigate “general threats,” in addition to “specific threats,” to determine whether a person poses a public danger. In those cases, an arrest and conviction could lead to prohibitions on buying or possessing guns, depending on the severity of the sentence.

The state already has laws dealing with emergency and voluntary commitment, and his office is talking to law enforcement officials to find out why those aren’t used more effectively, he said.

In addition, Sexton said a special session is needed to help the TBI develop a uniform court system for criminal records rather than have 230,000 records missing from the database. 

“Twelve years of data of someone who may not be able to purchase a gun based on those criminal records,” Sexton said. 

House Democratic Caucus Chairman John Ray Clemmons said in response Wednesday, “It sounds like the GOP supermajority holding our state government hostage is yet again kowtowing to extremists and ignoring the pleas of Tennessee families by proposing toothless and redundant laws.”

Gun-rights groups have been pounding lawmakers for weeks with messages opposing any type of restrictions on gun ownership, including extreme risk protection orders.

Democrats are prepared to work with Republicans to pass “meaningful gun safety” bills, which the majority of Tennesseans support, Clemmons said.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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GOP Lawmakers Call to Cancel Special Session on Guns, Calling It A “Publicity Stunt”

From left: Butler, Richey, and Warner I State of Tennessee

Three Tennessee Republican lawmakers want Governor Bill Lee to “abandon” a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly, scheduled for later this year to focus on gun safety, calling it a “publicity stunt” that will incite the “national woke mob.”  

Rep. Bryan Richey (R-Maryville), Rep. Ed Butler (R-Rickman), and Rep. Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill) signed an open letter to Lee Wednesday saying any gun measures can be addressed during the regular session in January. 

“Summoning legislators to Nashville to enact an unconstitutional ‘red flag’ law will not, as you suggest ‘strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights,” reads the letter posted to Twitter by Richey. “To the contrary, the General Assembly adamantly opposes — and refused to enact — measures that violate Tennesseans’ Second Amendment rights, whether styled ‘order of protection’ legislation or any other euphemism.”

The letter reminded Lee that the legislature did not consider his gun safety legislation at the end of the last session. It said Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson has said the legislature will “not pass any red flag law, period.” The lawmakers said they would not “violate” their oaths to the Constitution “for political expediency or to curry favor with special interests.”

“Your proposed special session, apparently calculated to pressure legislators to pass such a law, strikes us as an expensive, disruptive, futile, and counter-productive publicity stunt,” reads the letter. “The [Covenant School] tragedy would not have been averted by a ‘red flag’ law in any event. Your proposed special session is a solution in search of a problem.” 

However, Democrats are “ready to get to work,” said Tennessee House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons in a statement. 

“Tennesseans overwhelmingly support gun safety laws to better protect our children and communities and want legislative action,” Clemmons said. “Democrats agree and stand ready to get to work. As usual, the only thing standing in the way to public safety is the Republican supermajority.”

The GOP letter warns that a special session of left-wing activists will protest in Nashville and is in “service to the national woke mob that will descend on the Capitol.” All of it will “make the ‘Tennessee Three’ circus look like a dress rehearsal.” They claim “heavy security” will be needed to protect lawmakers from “unruly agitators.” 

“There is no emergency, declared or otherwise, that justifies calling us back to work in August,” reads the letter. “The reason is a series of policy proposals that we, as a legislative body, deliberately — and prudently — chose to reject this session.”

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Lawmakers React to Governor Lee’s Special Session on Gun Violence

Credit: state of Tennessee

Lawmakers reacted to Tennessee Governor Bill Lee’s call on Monday for a special session that is aimed to focus on reining in gun violence in the state. 

The GOP supermajority in the Tennessee General Assembly did not allow a review or a vote on Lee’s gun control proposal that came toward the end of the legislature’s 2023 regular session. Before they quit Nashville, though, Lee promised to bring them back to review the issue.

All of it came after the April shooting at a Nashville school that left three teachers and three students dead. Lee’s wife, Maria, previously taught with Cindy Peak and Katherine Koonce, two teachers killed at the school.

The gun-violence issue dominated the final weeks of the 2023 session. The turbulent days brought massive protests at the capitol, GOP efforts to remove three Tennessee House members, the expulsion of two of them, and the reinstatement of them both. 

GOP members wanted to see the Covenant shooter’s so-called “manifesto” before plunging into any kind of discussion on gun control. They also chided Democratic members for bringing gun control measures to the body after the shooting. 

The GOP was largely silent on the issue directly following the announcement. No official statements from their press offices and no Twitter mentions of the session came immediately from House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) nor Senate Speaker Randy McNally. 

However, Rep. John Gillespie (R-Memphis) had plenty to say on the topic before Lee’s announcement. In a series of tweets last week, the lawmaker said he was ready to get to to work on the issue and admitted “guns may be part of the problem.”

Democratic lawmakers from both state houses issued statements from their respective press offices after Lee’s announcement. 

Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis):

Akbari I State of Tennessee

“The General Assembly should embrace this opportunity to pass sensible gun laws that stop future gun violence. The people demanding action have brought us to this moment and now we need every Tennessean who cares about this issue to tell their elected leaders to show up in August and support legislation that truly addresses gun violence.

“Once we see the official call for the special session, we’ll know exactly what kind of legislation can be introduced. But we already know that broad majorities of voters, from all parts of the state and all political backgrounds, support common sense gun reforms, like extreme risk protection orders, waiting periods, and universal background checks.

“House and Senate Democrats will have a comprehensive package of gun safety bills and we’re ready to get something done.”

Sen. Sara Kyle (D-Memphis):

Kyle I State of Tennessee

“In Memphis, we know all too well the deadly consequences of firearms falling into the hands of people who would do us harm. Gun violence has buried too many of our citizens and ripped apart too many families.

“I appreciate the governor’s commitment to a special session. Now it’s time for this legislature to do its job and address the epidemic of gun violence.”

House Minority Leader Rep. Karen Camper (D-Memphis):

Camper I State of Tennessee

“The House Democratic Caucus is looking forward to working with Governor Lee and our Republican colleagues to enact meaningful legislation regarding sensible, bipartisan gun reform and public safety.  We know that Tennesseans across the state in both urban and rural communities are watching closely to ensure that we address the issues of unlicensed gun sales, extreme risk and protection orders and access to assault weapons and high capacity magazines.

Our caucus was prepared to meet this challenge during the regular session to keep Tennesseans safe.  It is unfortunate that our Republican colleagues decided to ignore our calls for action.  As we wait for the August special session we will continue to work towards our goal to create a Tennessee where public safety is a priority.”

Clemmons I State of Tennessee

House Democratic Caucus Chair Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville):

“While I am glad to see Gov. Lee finally responding to the ongoing pleas of an overwhelming majority of Tennesseans begging us to take immediate, necessary action, I remain seriously concerned about the inexcusable delay and his willingness to legislatively address the real problem that is causing these continued threats of harm to our children and communities.”

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Governor Lee Calls Special Session on Gun Reform

State Capitol (Photo: Tennessee State Government)

On Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee called for a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly “to strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.” Lee’s proposed session would convene on August 21st.

Lee had promised a special session after the legislature closed its 2023 session without taking up his proposal to pass legislation to curb gun violence in the state. The final weeks of the session were dominated by talks of gun violence after a shooter killed three students and three teachers at a Nashville’s Covenant School, but no gun-reform measures were enacted.   

“After speaking with members of the General Assembly, I am calling for a special session on August 21st to continue our important discussion about solutions to keep Tennessee communities safe and preserve the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Lee. “There is broad agreement that action is needed, and in the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to listen to Tennesseans and pursue thoughtful, practical measures that strengthen the safety of Tennesseans, preserve Second Amendment rights, prioritize due process protections, support law enforcement and address mental health.”

Many state GOP members weren’t convinced a session was needed. Some, like House Republican Caucus Chairman Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby), said they wanted to understand the Covenant School shooter’s motive before moving on gun control. 

Faison I State of Tennessee

”Audrey Hale murdered 6 Christians, and many Tennesseans are demanding that their state legislature ’do something.,’” Faison tweeted in late April. “We cannot possibly address this horrific situation until we know what was in her manifesto. I am calling on the Metropolitan Nashville Police Deparment [sic] & the FBI to immediately release this document so we can examine it, then take the appropriate steps.”

”There were 6 innocent lives taken & we are told that the killer left a manifesto,” tweeted state Rep. Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville). ”I urge  @MNPDNashville and @TBInvestigation to release the document in order to look at effective policy that addresses the root of the issue.” 

Governor Lee urged Tennesseans to ”engage in the conversation” by sharing comments on a designated state website here. 

“Gov. Lee will meet with legislators, stakeholders, and Tennesseans throughout the summer to discuss practical solutions ahead of the special session,” reads a statement for his office. ”The governor’s office will issue a formal call ahead of the special session.” 

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Governor to Call Special Session After Legislature Adjourns Without Passing Gun Restrictions

House Speaker Cameron Sexton and House Majority William Lamberth confer on April 6 during the expulsion hearing of Rep. Justin Pearson. (Photo: John Partipilo)

Gov. Bill Lee will call a special session to tackle gun reform after the Tennessee Legislature adjourned for the year Friday night without tackling gun reform nearly a month after a mass shooting at a Nashville private school.

The governor said Friday night he made the decision after discussions with legislative leaders. He did not lay out a time frame but said the session will be used to “strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.”

“There is broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves and others should not have access to weapons. 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 in a statement.

People have asked us to do something, and instead the majority party did nothing.

– Senate Majority Leader Raumesh Akbari, on the General Assembly’s passage of culture war bills, while failing to address safe gun measures.

The 113th General Assembly passed a spate of culture war bills and a $56.2 billion budget but declined to take up the governor’s “order of protection” bill that would enable weapons to be confiscated from people deemed a risk to themselves and others.

Democrats urged the governor to bring the Legislature back to Nashville as soon as possible while lamenting the failure to pass any sort of weapons bill, calling the entire session a “failure.”

“People have asked us to do something, and instead the majority party did nothing,” Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari said Friday night after the Legislature adjourned. 

House Minority Leader Karen Camper contended “a very small handful of legislators” decided not to do anything about gun violence. She said Republican leaders approached her the day of the shooting and said they were ready to take on gun reform but then backed out.

Earlier in the day, House Speaker Cameron Sexton held out the possibility a special session could be called in a matter of weeks to take up weapons-related bills in response to the death of the six people, including three 9-year-olds, at The Covenant School in Green Hills. The shooter is believed to have been undergoing treatment for what family called “an emotional disorder” and had bought several high-capacity rifles, using two AR-15s in the deadly shooting before being killed by Metro Nashville Police officers.

But following the session, Sexton said “stakeholder” meetings should be held statewide to see where people stand on new gun-related laws.

The state is experiencing high revenues and the Legislature put some $240 million for legislative district projects into the record-setting budget. But Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said the Legislature would have been forced to amend the budget almost at the same time it went through approval, because of the late hour of Lee’s proposal. But he wouldn’t classify the wording in the governor’s plan as a “non-starter.”

Despite protests and rallies for the last three and a half weeks around the Capitol complex, the Republican-controlled Senate and House refused to act on Gov. Bill Lee’s bill putting a new “order of protection” law into place cutting access to weapons for people determined to be a danger to themselves and others. The measure, which never gained a sponsor, would have required the targeted person to have a court hearing before being ordered to turn in weapons.

The matter remains contentious.

A group called the American Firearms Association visited the Capitol complex Thursday, passing out papers opposing Lee’s bill as “red flag gun confiscation” and urging lawmakers to keep it from advancing.

A group of women, though, Voices for a Safer Tennessee, spent Thursday and Friday lobbying for passage of the bill and other measures designed to restrict weapons.

The group put out survey information showing a strong majority of people favor Lee’s plan, requirements to report stolen firearms, the closing of background check loopholes, a 72-hour waiting period for gun buys, and strong gun storage laws.

Yet a measure sponsored by Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, to restrict sales of rifles capable of holding magazines with more than 10 rounds of ammunition failed Friday in a delayed bills committee made up of Speaker Cameron Sexton and House Majority Leader William Lamberth, both Republicans, and House Minority Leader Karen Camper.

Lamberth said he could never support such a bill because it would outlaw nearly every rifle made, including .22-caliber rifles, small gauge guns that can hold upwards of 20 bullets.

Sexton told Mitchell he might be able to bring the bill forward in a few weeks if a special session is called to consider gun-related bills or next year when the second half of the 113th General Assembly reconvenes.

Protests rocked the Capitol over the last month, and a chain of people stretched this week from Monroe Carell Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt where shooting victims were taken to the Capitol. 

In that time frame, Republican lawmakers expelled two young, Black Democrats and tried to boot out a third for leading an anti-gun protest on the House floor and violating decorum.

Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville survived the expulsion hearing, but Reps. Justin Jones of Nashville and Pearson came out on the short end of votes. They returned less than a week later after reappointments by the Metro Nashville Council and Shelby County Commission and regained their seats.

The so-called “Tennessee Three” received worldwide acclaim and in the past few days inserted themselves more actively into the House floor debate, often challenging the speaker and other members over rules and bills.

Jones said after the session he would give the Legislature an “F for failure, foolishness, and fascism.” He was consistently shut down by Sexton for breaking debate rules.

Lawmakers also dealt this week with the sudden resignation of Republican Rep. Scotty Campbell, who was found by an ethics subcommittee of sexually harassing a 19-year-old intern, making vulgar comments to her and at one point grabbing her around the neck, according to a NewsChannel5 report.

Speaker Sexton laid Campbell’s decision to resign at the feet of the subcommittee, even though it doesn’t have the authority to penalize members for breaking rules. The subcommittee sent a letter to Sexton on March 29 letting him know its decision. But no action was taken against Campbell, and less than two hours before he vacated, he said he wasn’t going to step down.

Among the hotly-debated culture war items was a measure requiring the state treasurer to make investments based on financial factors, not environmental, social, and governance interests.

State Rep. Jason Zachary, R-Knoxville, pushed the measure to passage, pointing out State Treasurer David Lillard requested the bill as a foundation for his investment strategies. 

Pearson, an environmental activist, questioned the bill, saying it could cause racial injustice. Zachary responded that he was amazed Pearson could bring race into every matter he discusses on the House floor.

However, Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, pointed out some of the most successful companies in the world, such as PayPal and Mastercard, use environment, social and governance policies to guide their decisions. Lawmakers and state leaders might disagree about climate change, Powell said, “But we want to make sure companies we invest in as a state have concerns about the future.”

Many of those culture-war bills that passed the Republican-controlled chambers, including one enabling teachers to opt out of “implicit bias training” drew sustained debate before passing with Republican support.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Tennessee Lookout maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Holly McCall for questions: info@tennesseelookout.com. Follow Tennessee Lookout on Facebook and Twitter.

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Tennessee Legislature Dismisses Gun Bills In Rush to Adjourn, Defying Protests After School Shooting

Sen. Jeff Yarbro speaks on the floor of the Tennessee Senate in 2022. The Nashville Democrat tried unsuccessfully on Thursday to get the Senate to take up gun reform legislation after a deadly school shooting in his community. Larry McCormack for Chalkbeat

Tennessee’s legislature raced Thursday to complete its business early for the year while refusing to take up gun reform legislation from Republican Gov. Bill Lee or Democratic lawmakers, three weeks after a mass shooting at a Nashville school.

The inaction on guns came despite weeks of daily peaceful protests by thousands of students, parents, and gun control advocates calling for new laws to restrict gun access. 

From the Senate floor, Majority Leader Jack Johnson announced the legislature was on track to wrap up this year’s session by Friday after his chamber approved the state’s nearly $56 billion budget for next year — the only measure it’s constitutionally required to pass. The House approved the spending plan a day earlier.

Several recent surveys of Tennessee parents and voters show strong support for gun safety measures such as background checks and so-called red flag laws to prevent people who may be experiencing a mental health crisis from having access to weapons. Authorities have said the Nashville shooter, who was shot and killed by police, had been under a doctor’s care for an undisclosed “emotional disorder” before killing six people at The Covenant School on March 27.

But with prospects for gun reform dimming this year, Tennesseans who have been raising their voices were aghast Thursday at the Republican super-majority’s unwillingness to look seriously at their concerns about lax gun laws. 

“They are shrugging their shoulders at us and ending their session quickly. But we are not going to stop,” said Nashville mom Leeann Hewlett, who was among the first demonstrators to show up outside of a legislative office building on the day after the shooting.

“We are not going to forget the children and adults who died at The Covenant School. We’re not going to forget that guns are the leading cause of death for kids in Tennessee,” said Hewlett, who has an 8-year-old daughter.

Lee, whose wife was a close friend of one adult victim in the Nashville shooting, offered up his own proposal Wednesday after lawmakers ignored his call last week to bring him legislation that would help keep guns out of the hands of people deemed at risk of hurting themselves or others. Nineteen states have such a policy. 

Meanwhile, the National Rifle Association mobilized its Tennessee members this week against any legislation that resembles a red flag law. And the House Republican caucus released a statement labeling any such proposal a “non-starter.”

In a last-ditch effort on Thursday, Sen. Jeff Yarbro delivered an impassioned speech on the Senate floor asking his colleagues to take up gun reform legislation stuck in a key committee that voted to defer action on any gun-related bills until next year.

Yarbro said his legislation is based on Florida’s 2018 red flag law, which passed with bipartisan support after a shooter killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland. The Nashville Democrat is also the sponsor of a so-called safe storage bill to require people to secure weapons left in vehicles and boats so they don’t fall into the hands of criminals. 

“How do we not feel shame for failing to do anything?” asked Yarbro, noting that Nashville also has suffered mass shootings at a church and a Waffle House restaurant in recent years.

“We have the substance, we have the process, we have the time. The only question is whether we have the will,” said Yarbro, pleading for at least 17 of the Senate’s 33 members to support his request to call up his bill. 

The Senate responded by voting 24-7 to table his motion, mostly along partisan lines.

Afterward, Yarbro tweeted that adjourning the session without voting on a single bill to limit gun access means the legislature is betting voters will “move on” to other issues when it reconvenes next January.

“Prove them wrong,” he said.

The developments came as the legislature has been under national scrutiny over the House’s expulsion of two young Black lawmakers, who have since been reinstated, over their demonstration on the House floor to highlight their body’s inaction on gun violence.

Still, lawmakers sent a bill to the governor this week to shield Tennessee gun and ammunition manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits. That measure had been in the works before the shooting.

Thursday also marked the 24th anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colorado, in which two students shot and killed 12 classmates and one teacher before taking their own lives.

From the Columbine shooting in Colorado to the Covenant shooting in Nashville, 175 people have died in 15 mass shootings connected to U.S. schools and colleges, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today, and Northeastern University. (The database defines a mass shooting as resulting in the death of four or more people.)

Victims in the Nashville shooting were students Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs, and William Kinney, all age 9; and three school staff members: custodian Mike Hill and substitute teacher Cynthia Peak, both 61, and Katherine Koonce, 60, the head of the school. 

Marta Aldrich is a senior correspondent and covers the statehouse for Chalkbeat Tennessee. Contact her at maldrich@chalkbeat.org.

Chalkbeat is a nonprofit news site covering educational change in public schools.