A few short weeks before a shooter entered a Nashville elementary school and opened fire, I covered a march to the state capitol where activists were demanding gun control measures. I heard a refrain: “Are we waiting for a tragedy to reform firearm laws?”
2023 was a tumultuous year for education in Tennessee. Here’s a look back at the year’s biggest stories.
As 2023 comes to close, WPLN is taking a moment to remember some of the biggest stories of the year. In education, big policy changes usually take the number one spot. Unfortunately, this was not a typical year.
MNPD ends investigation into leaked Covenant shooting documents — with no answers
Nashville police have ended the investigation into who leaked documents related to the Covenant School shooting — without an answer as to how three pages of the assailant’s journal ended up in the hands of a conservative YouTuber.
Tennessee governor gives up on push for extreme risk protection order
Gov. Bill Lee has announced that he will not ask state lawmakers to pass an extreme risk protection order during the upcoming legislative session. That proposal would have allowed a judge to temporarily prevent people found to be a danger to themselves or others from possessing firearms.
Seven Nashville police officers have been taken out of the field, following a leak of Covenant shooting documents
Nashville’s police department has taken multiple officers out of the field, after an apparent leak of journal pages left by the assailant of the Covenant School shooting.
National Police Association argue Covenant school parents shouldn’t have say in release of assailant’s writing
The legal dispute over police records from the Covenant School investigation took another step forward Monday.
The special session failed to yield gun reform. Now Tennessee democrats are looking to a new federal office for support.
Democratic senators and representatives from Tennessee will be present Friday at the White House when President Joe Biden is expected to announce a new office on gun violence prevention.
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.
Covenant parents turn their focus to upcoming elections after a disappointing special session
Covenant School parents have been at the Tennessee Capitol throughout the special session — holding signs, wearing ribbons in school colors and hoping for gun reform.
Child autopsy bill spurs debate pitting privacy against transparency
As the special session continues, one of the bills heading to the Tennessee Senate would remove the autopsies of children who are victims of violent crime from the public record. Only their legal guardians would have the right to release them.
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