Red Flag Law Debate Continues with Tennessee Special Session One Month Away
By Jon Styf | The Center Square
(The Center Square) – With a month remaining until a planned August 21, 2023, start to a public safety special session, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee continues to meet with constituents, legislators, and interest groups about the laws that should and shouldn’t be proposed.
Families of Nashville Covenant School students have started two non-profits as they look to push for school safety changes after a shooting that killed three students and three staff members on March 27, 2023.
One of those non-profits is the Covenant Families Action Fund, which will aim to push for legislative change to ensure safer schools in the future.
“The families of The Covenant School have a wide range of political views but are united in their faith and shared desire to protect their children and all children in Tennessee from experiencing anything like what happened in March 2023,” the groups said in a joint statement. “The two non-profits are both dedicated to working with anyone who will respect all political and ideological viewpoints while taking meaningful steps to protect children.
“Both Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows and the Covenant Families Action Fund appreciate the decision by Governor Bill Lee to convene a special session of the state legislature in August to respond to overwhelming calls for action on gun violence prevention.”
One of the most controversial parts of the special session call will be whether Lee goes forward with a red flag law, which he called a temporary mental health order of protection when he first proposed it this spring.
Senator Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, recently told reporters he wants leadership to meet with the National Rifle Association before the special session and that he won’t support legislation that uses the word “firearm,” according to WKRN.
A Vanderbilt poll showed that 72 percent of Tennessee voters approve of Lee’s proposed law and 82 percent approve of an executive order he placed to strengthen background checks before gun purchases.
A poll from Co/efficient, however, said that 84 percent of voters believe a dangerous individual should be removed from a community rather than taking their guns and that support for red flag laws drops 21 percent when voters are informed those laws leaves threatening individuals free to harm others.
Lee met with the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition on Monday, stating its opposition to any red flag law.
“Governor Lee personally listened to our concerns about the August Special Session of the Tennessee General Assembly,” the group said in a statement. “We do continue to have grave concerns about public safety during the special session due to previously reported threats and planning by Marxists. We appreciate the fact that Governor Lee listened to our concerns.”
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