Tennessee governor outlines agenda for special session in wake of Nashville school shooting

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday unveiled a sweeping list of public safety issues he wants lawmakers to address during an upcoming special session prompted by a shocking Nashville school shooting earlier this year that resulted in the deaths of three children and three adults. “As our nation faces evolving public safety threats, Tennessee remains vigilant and is taking continued action to protect communities while preserving the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” Lee said in a statement, adding that he has worked with the General Assembly to identify “practical measures to strengthen public safety.” Earlier this year, Tennessee’s GOP-dominated Statehouse refused to consider tightening the state’s relaxed gun laws in the days following a shooter opening fire at The Covenant School, a private elementary school in Nashville. Instead, legislative leaders hustled to adjourn and ignored the pleas from distraught families to enact meaningful change surrounding gun control Despite the Legislature’s initial defiance, Lee promised he would convene a special session and stressed that lawmakers needed more time to listen and discuss his proposal. The clear losers are Tennessee families and school children.” The fight this spring over whether to change Tennessee’s gun laws was further heightened when Republicans expelled two young Black lawmakers, both Democrats.