Senate minority leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, and Sen. Sara Kyle, D-Memphis, issued statements calling for common sense gun reform to feature prominently in Gov. Bill Lee’s August special session of the legislature.
“The General Assembly should embrace this opportunity to pass sensible gun laws that stop future gun violence, said Sen. Raumesh Akbari. “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.”
According to Sen. Sara Kyle: “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.”
On April 11, in response to The Covenant School shooting in Nashville, Lee signed an executive order strengthening background checks for firearm purchases.
According to a Vanderbilt University poll, an overwhelming majority of registered voters (82%) support a so-called ‘red flag’ law that would temporarily restrict access to guns for individuals who are at a high risk of harming themselves or others.
On Wednesday, Lee signed school safety legislation into law that according to Gov. Lee will “increase funding in the Fiscal Year 23-24 budget to place an armed School Resource Officer (SRO) at every Tennessee public school, boost physical school security at public and private schools, and provide additional mental health resources for Tennesseans.”
Tennesseans are invited to engage in the conversation in advance of the special section by sharing feedback <stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/specialsession_public_safety>.
Gov. Lee will meet with legislators, stakeholders, and Tennesseans throughout the summer to discuss practical solutions ahead of the special session.
