After Monday’s mass shooting at Covenant School, Tennessee Democrats are calling on their Republican counterparts to limit access to guns. But Republicans do not want to talk about it.
Sen. John Stevens, R-Huntingdon, tried to avoid questions from reporters after a brief Senate session adjourned Monday.
“Nope! I’m not going to politicize it guys. My bills have nothing to do with this,” said Stevens.
Stevens is backing a Senate Bill 1503, which allows people as young as 18 to carry guns without a license or training. It has begun moving through the House and the Senate but has not been taken up yet for final votes.
While he didn’t want to address it, his Democratic colleagues did. Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, was one of them.
“I don’t want to hear not another prayer, not another ‘it’s a personal responsibility,’ none of that,” said Lamar. “The blood is on their hands because they neglect to pass reasonable policy to protect children.”
Sen. Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, who’s been in the General Assembly since 2014 says he’s been through these moments too often.
“When is it enough? When is the carnage that piles up enough for people to just put the politics aside and actually do something that might help?” said Yarbro.
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