Tennessee lawmakers look forward to January after dissatisfying special session

When Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee called for a special session on public safety, he left out a chance for any gun reform legislation to be passed. With that off the table, Republican lawmakers focused on bills related to mental health and juvenile sentencing. Now, session is over, and many feel not enough was done.

When the House and Senate adjourned the special session Tuesday, they had passed four bills. They give out free gun locks, require a report on human trafficking, codify faster background checks and allocate the funds to do these things.

Gov. Lee says progress was made.

“This week was important because I worked hard together with lawmakers to move the ball forward,” Lee said.

But House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, thinks differently.

“We’re disappointed, obviously, that we didn’t get to do more stuff that we thought was beneficial,” said Sexton.

Sexton wanted to pass bills that would’ve made it so that juveniles convicted of violent crimes would serve harsher sentences. But the Senate didn’t give that idea a chance, tabling it for the entire session.

Senate Speaker Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, thinks those topics can be addressed later on.

“We’ll be back in January. These issues will be before us again, and we’ll be able to devote more time.”

Many are tired of Tennessee’s supermajority GOP kicking the can down the road. The Covenant School shooting happened in March. It’s now five months later, and the only change to laws around guns is owners can now get free locks.

Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis, says none of the changes will help lower the amount of people killed by gun violence.

“That isn’t going to prevent the amount of funerals that we’re going to have here in Memphis and Shelby County,” Pearson said.

The one thing lawmakers will be able to do when the session begins in January is bring up any piece of legislation they’d like, including an extreme risk protection order.

But the reality of it passing is grim, seeing as nearly every elected state Republican has said they wouldn’t consider it.