
In the hours before the legislative special session, pastors with the Southern Christian Coalition formed a human chain around the capitol building as they prayed for lawmakers to be compassionate.
The governor called the session in response to a deadly school shooting in Nashville in March.
Chaplain Dahron Johnson, of United Church of Christ, led one of several prayers.
“Help us remind those legislators and all present here that we are an eternal enduring gift of God. And that our lives deserve to be protected as such,” said Johnson.
Faith leaders are calling for gun control legislation. But when the governor ssued the proclamation for the special session, he left little if any room for legislation to be filed to make it tougher to buy guns.
Most of the proposed measures focus on mental health, harsher sentences for juveniles and making it easier for gun owners to safely store their weapons.
