Tennessee Governor’s Attempt to Enact Gun Laws Fails as Legislative Session Ends Amid Altercation
A special legislative session in Tennessee, called by Republican Governor Bill Lee in response to a tragic school shooting, concluded on Tuesday without any progress on gun safety legislation. The session, which began on August 21, was convened to address public safety measures and consider a “red flag” law after a school shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville resulted in the deaths of three children and three staff members in March.
However, despite Governor Lee’s proposals, the state’s Republican supermajority in the legislature remained firm in their refusal to pass any laws that could be perceived as infringing on citizens’ Second Amendment rights to own guns.
During the session’s closing, a brief altercation occurred between House Speaker Cameron Sexton and two Democratic lawmakers, Representatives Justin Jones and Justin Pearson, who had been expelled from their seats in April after protesting against gun violence on the House floor. The scuffle involved shoves exchanged before other members intervened to separate the individuals.
Jones and Pearson, both Black members of the predominantly white House, had advocated for new gun laws aimed at addressing urban violence in their respective districts. After their expulsion, they were reinstated through a special election.
While no significant new gun laws were passed during the session, lawmakers did allocate additional funding for existing safety programs. Governor Lee expressed that the session had made the state safer through this measure. However, some parents, like Sarah Shoop Neuman, a parent of a Covenant student, were disappointed by the lack of substantial action, especially considering the tragic loss of lives in the school shooting.