Tennessee governor calls lawmakers to special session on gun control

Tennessee lawmakers rushed to pass the state budget and complete their work this week — but they’ll soon return to the state capitol for a special session on gun control.

Gov. Bill Lee called for the special session Friday night, saying he’d like the legislature to “strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.” The exact details of the session have not been announced.

The governor has asked for a stronger order of protection law, which can separate dangerous people from guns.

It’s a measure that responds to the March 27 mass shooting at the Covenant School — in which the parents of the assailant later told police they’d had concerns about access to guns.

The proposal has thus far prompted resistance from Republican legislators and the National Rifle Association, critiques from Democrats who consider the idea incomplete, and questions from gun safety advocates as to how effective the reforms would be.

“There is broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves or others should not have access to weapons,” the governor wrote Friday. “We also share a strong commitment to preserving Second Amendment rights, ensuring due process and addressing the heart of the problem with strengthened mental health resources.”

More: Read the full text of the draft legislation (PDF).

Democratic lawmakers began pushing for a special session as the legislature raced toward the end of its business, and Rep. Jeremy Faison, the House Republican caucus chairman, was among Republicans expressing support for such a session.

House Speaker Cameron Sexton says he’s open to the idea but wants to hear from residents first.

“I think that we owe it before we come back here and start proposing legislation that we do have a broad stakeholders meeting all across this state allowing the public to come to the table and discuss what issues they’d like to have solved,” Sexton said.

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