Reaction to Gov. Lee’s call for a special session on public safety

NASHVILLE (WDEF) – As expected, Governor Bill Lee has called lawmakers back to Nashville for a special session on public safety and school violence set for August 21.

Many Republicans, including the Senate party leader, have been lobbying him to call off the session because they say there is no support for any new gun restrictions in Tennessee.

But that criticism didn’t work.

Here is what Governor Lee said as he called the session:

“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. In the months leading up to the public safety special session, we have listened to Tennesseans and worked with members of the General Assembly to identify thoughtful, practical measures to strengthen public safety across our state, including steps to support law enforcement, address mental health, prevent violent crime and stop human trafficking. I thank the General Assembly for its continued partnership and look forward to achieving meaningful results for Tennesseans.”

On Wednesday, members of Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows endorsed the Governor’s call.

Parent Sarah Shoop Neumann said “We are thankful for Governor Lee for calling the special session and we have a lot to review. To date we have now had over 50 meetings with legislative offices. We will be making formal endorsements of bills and we will be watching to see if changes that honor what happened at Covenant School are made around firearm reform, mental health, and school safety.”

The Governor says he will present proposals to support law enforcement and address mental health.

Specifically:

1. Codification of EO 100 and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) Report Implementation: Requires reporting of accurate, complete and timely records from court clerks to the TBI within 72-hours and requires electronic submissions of dispositions and expungements to the TBI.
2. TennCare Mental Health Coverage Waiver: Directs TennCare to seek a waiver from the federal government to allow federal matching funds for Medicaid to cover services for mental illness and substance use disorders at institutions of mental diseases.
3. Addressing Mental Health Workforce Challenges: Budget initiatives that prioritize opportunities to grow and retain mental health professionals in the state.
4. Reforms for Mental Health: Expands access to mental health treatment by eliminating certain collaborative practice requirements for Advanced Registered Practice Nurses with psychiatric training.
5. Strengthening the Identification of Individuals Arrested for Felonies: Provides for the collection of DNA at the time of an arrest for all felonies.
6. Human Trafficking Report: Resolution directing TBI to report on the state of human trafficking in Tennessee.
7. Promoting Safe Storage: Eliminates taxes on firearm safes and safety devices, provides free gun locks, expands safe storage training in state-approved safety courses, and creates a public service announcement to promote safe storage.

Democrats and some community leaders are pushing for more overt gun reforms to come out of the session.