Red Flag Law Debate Continues With Tennessee Special Session A Month Away
Image: The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition met with Gov. Bill Lee. The gathering included, from left, board member Dave Galbraith, advisory board member Chris Clark, Executive Director Aaron Gulbransen, Lee, board member Scott Nelson, board Chairman Aaron Spradlin and board member Greg Lewis. Image Credit: Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition | Contributed photo
The Center Square [By Jon Styf] –
With a month remaining until a planned Aug. 21 start to a public safety special session, Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee continues to meet with constituents, legislators and interest groups about the laws that should and shouldn’t be proposed.
Families of Nashville Covenant School students have started two nonprofits as they look to push for school safety changes after a shooting that killed three students and three staff members on March 27.
One of those nonprofits is the Covenant Families Action Fund, which will aim to push for legislative change to ensure safer schools in the future.
“The families of The Covenant School have a wide range of political views but are united in their faith and shared desire to protect their children and all children in Tennessee from experiencing anything like what happened in March 2023,” the groups said in a joint statement. “The two nonprofits are both dedicated to working with anyone who will respect all political and ideological viewpoints while taking meaningful steps to protect children.
“Both Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows and the Covenant Families Action Fund appreciate the decision by Governor Bill Lee to convene a special session of the state legislature in August to respond to overwhelming calls for action on gun violence prevention.”
One of the most controversial parts of the special session call will be whether Lee goes forward with a red flag law, which he called a temporary mental health order of protection when he first proposed it this spring.
Sen. Ferrell Haile, R-Gallatin, recently told reporters he wants leadership to meet with the National Rifle Association before the special session and that he won’t support legislation that uses the word “firearm,” according to WKRN.
A Vanderbilt poll showed that 72% of Tennessee voters approve of Lee’s proposed law and 82% approve of an executive order he placed to strengthen background checks before gun purchases.
A poll from Co/efficient, however, said that 84% of voters believe a dangerous individual should be removed from a community rather than taking their guns and that support for red flag laws drops 21% when voters are informed those laws leaves threatening individuals free to harm others.
Lee met with the Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition on Monday, stating its opposition to any red flag law.
“Governor Lee personally listened to our concerns about the August Special Session of the Tennessee General Assembly,” the group said in a statement. “We do continue to have grave concerns about public safety during the special session due to previously reported threats and planning by Marxists. We appreciate the fact that Governor Lee listened to our concerns.”
About the Author: Jon Styf, The Center Square Staff Reporter – Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies. Follow Jon on Twitter @JonStyf.
The best way to protect our schools and children is not by passing a Red Flag law but instead, to allow teachers and staff members who are willing, and trained, to carry on school grounds. Criminals and people with mental health issues do not obey laws. I also support removing dangerous individuals from a community who pose a threat to themselves or others. I oppose ALL Red Flag laws because there is no due process.
I just don’t get it. We have dozens of example of draconian gun laws and proof they don’t work. For years I said education was the key but no more. When schools teach that students can do certain things without parental consent or even telling their parents, the die is cast. When schools teach that some races consider themselves above others, the die is cast. When parents are cast as “terrorists” for speaking out against the CRT or Transvestite shows in the school, the die is cast. It is not entirely the fault of the schools or teacher but they are a huge part of the problem. Teach patriotism, not railing against perceived injustices, of which there are enough to go around, teach community pride and commitment, not division, above all, teach that there is value in human life from conception to the grave. I promise gun violence with be reduced.
NO RED FLAG LAWS OR ANYMORE GUN LAWS BY BILL LEED ITS COMMUNISM TO TRY AND TAKE OUR BUNS FROM THOSE OF US LAW OBIDEN CITIZENS
Isn’t it curious that the Covenant school shooter’s manifesto has still not been released? Apparently, it’s caught up in a lawsuit….crickets from everyone in the legislature, law enforcement and media. Why? What don’t they want us to know? The Governor’s ERPO concept sounds good but enforcing it will never happen in practice. Don’t let your reps. knee jerk vote in the special session. Let them know your position.
He will never get my vote again.
Lee is a violent anti Christian fascist traitor.
I was in law enforcement for 31 years – “red flag” laws don’t protect anyone. School security & locking up criminals is the area to concentrate on
No laws ever pass will ever stop any shorting people! It’s already illegal to kill! Why do you think there are killings every day in Chicago!!! They have the strictest gun laws out there, bad people will always do bad things good people with guns stop it period ! There is no discussion and stop calling most of these people mentally I’ll it demonic! When we have brain washed are people to they don’t know what sex they are, pretty clear that’s the problem!
Enforce the laws we have with this so called red flag will do nothing, Force has to be met with force to stop crazed idiots, Armed teachers and law enforcement. Use this special session to hand Lee the Pink slip!!
Voting for Lee is a moot point… he showed who he is before now. Pay attention. Something is hinky. Why is he pushing for this when so many have told him we do NOT want it? The feds set apart $750M for states to pass red flag laws, and 17 have. That would be appr. $25M to TN. But it’s more than that. It’s a narrative, an ideology. And Lee is behind it. STOP VOTING IN RINOs… looks at who is for it– LT McNally, Rep. Jeremy Faison, Rep. Mark White, Rep. Sam Whitson, Rep., John Gillespie… LOCAL ELECTIONS ARE IMPORTANT, GET THESE RINOS OUT.
Bill Lee is being supported by a lot of political groups not usually associated with Republicans. Not only state democrats but liberal gun confiscation groups from outside the state. Even the two recently formed nonprofit groups are more concerned with gun control than Red Flag Laws. They have plans to disrupt the Special Session and have already caused problems with journalist and State Representatives.
Govenor Lee and his cronies in Nashville have ruined the TN GOP and are hell bent on us becoming a blue state.
They refuse to release the Covenant School shooter’s manifesto because their push for gun control would go down in flames.
I urge all State Reps to vote for the Constitution and against Govenor Lee. I also urge all voters to take a close look at any proposed legislation and how your representative votes. We must stop these radicals from taking our rights and freedoms.
no red flag laws for Tennessee it does nothing i will not vote for you if you put red flag laws in effect dont bend for the democrats we are fine with the laws we have now you are an republican not a democrat keep Tennessee a red state we dont want the dems BS here
For decades we’ve watched Tennessee governors move left and put the screws to Tn citizens after winning a second term.
I think we need to take a really serious look at changing the governors term to ONE SIX YEAR term.
They can only run for reelection after SIX YEARS out of office.
It’s the way I can think of to make sure they don’t turn-coat on us.
Because we all know the Tennessee legislature is top heavy with weak republicans that do not comprehend their job, and are manipulated by career unelected bureaucrats.
I was reading an article this past week with regards to the Covenant School and the Los Angeles inspired Red Flag Laws.
The article stated that the Covenant School has established two non-profit organizations to lobby for Red Flag Laws.
Those for Red Flag Laws are for protecting the bad actors of society.
Red Flag Laws are as big a fraud as the end of the world Mayan Callender and the Covid Hoax which brought fascist socialism to America.