‘Voices for a Safer Tennessee’ discuss gun reform

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — ‘Voices for a Safer Tennessee‘ is a nonpartisan group advocating for firearm safety and reform.

A special session will begin on August 21 with Governor Bill Lee to address these concerns.

“It is a public health crisis right now. If you remember many decades ago, there were a lot more vehicle deaths … people dying in vehicular crashes. That was resolved because people said ‘We don’t want to take your cars, but we want to show you how to safely drive them and how to be a safe car owner. So, we think the same thing is needed for gun reform. Back many decades ago they said, ‘Kids have to be in seatbelts’…. ‘You can’t drive your car drunk’… Nobody said you can’t drive your car; you just have to know how to do it and do it in the right state of mind,” board member Dori Thornton Waller said.

The nonpartisan coalition is dedicated to prioritizing common-sense firearm safety laws and promoting responsible gun ownership. 

They advocate for three main issues: temporary transfer laws, stronger storage laws, and consistent background checks.

“Being nonpartisan is so important on this issue. It is such a hard issue to discuss with anyone and everyone. But we really have found these three issues to be a common ground for all Tennesseans,” Waller said.

The Safer Tennessee coalition includes more than 20,000 supporters representing all political viewpoints and nearly 95 counties in Tennessee.

“These aren’t just names. These are politicians, music industry giants, that really care about Tennessee and keeping our community safe. Amy Grant, Vince Gill, Senator Bill Frist … We are thrilled to welcome them,” Waller said.

The board is hoping to promote gun safety and informative resources for Tennesseans.

Waller said the board is grateful Governor Lee proposed the special session and hopes to reach a common ground for gun reform.