Tennessee’s gun control advocates thought that the mass shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville might finally sway lawmakers to pass gun reform. But the Republican supermajority has thus far held tight to their refusal to address the issue.
Gun control measures did not make it through the capitol this session, despite recent polling that shows most Tennesseans support them.
There are several factors at play, says Vanderbilt University political scientist Carrie Russell.
One of them is that gerrymandering has made the legislature into somewhat of a monolith, she says.
“It makes for a very one sided conversation about common sense gun regulation in our state,” Russell says.
Over the last few weeks, since the Covenant shooting claimed the lives of three young school children and three school staffers, that one sidedness has become plain.
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Democratic lawmakers like Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, gave impassioned speeches about making change to prevent future shootings — but it did not sway the vote across party lines.
“When you’re seeing another mom that’s here grieving her child, how do we not feel shame for failing to do anything?” Yarbro said. “We owe it to the victims of this mass shooting, the previous mass shootings, and unfortunately, the inevitable mass shootings that will follow.”
Most Republican members refused to engage — shutting down legislation and sometimes cutting off debate.
Blaise Gainey WPLN NewsProtesters stand outside the state Capitol for a Moral Monday rally led by faith leaders who want gun reform.
Another contributing factor, Russell says, is the influence of the gun lobby in Tennessee.
“The power of the Tennessee Firearms Association and the National Rifle Association has been the 800-pound gorilla in the room,” Russell says, “able to threaten our legislative members with being primaried, if these members refuse to walk in lockstep with their agenda.”
Even the governor has fallen into the crosshairs of the Tennessee Firearms Association for calling on the legislature to expand a state law to separate dangerous people from their firearms.
“The proposed amendment … does not indicate which bills are being amended, who the sponsors are, when the bill would be heard in a committee, or give anyone outside of government the opportunity to review, comment on or oppose the legislation,” said the group’s Executive Director John Harris in a statement. “It is the typical move of a tyrant.”
The NRA has also been encouraging its members to call legislators to oppose any measure resembling a “red flag” law. And the Dorr brothers group, American Firearms Association, have been handing out flyers criticizing Lee at the state capitol.
Russell says Lee’s call to action was unprecedented for Tennessee, and could have given lawmakers more freedom to act.
“What is almost beyond belief to me is that we would have a Republican governor who’s willing to take the cover, is willing to say, ‘Just put it on me, representatives, you can you can just put it on me. This is my initiative.’ ” Russell says. “And they’re still not willing to cooperate with the leader of their party in our state.”
Russell says the only hope left for reform this year would come during a special session.
On Friday night, after the legislature gaveled to a close, Gov. Bill Lee called for just that. Republican leaders have expressed openness about a special session, but how far they will go on gun control is unknown, since they’ve not offered any of their own ideas.
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