(The Center Square) – Tennessee’s special session next week could begin at 4 p.m. on Tuesday and end as soon as Thursday, based on a Senate schedule posted to the Tennessee Legislature website.
As of Friday morning, there were 47 House bills, six Senate bills, 16 House joint resolutions, nine Senate joint resolutions and eight House and Senate resolutions posted for the special session, a number that will likely increase before the bodies gavel into session Monday afternoon.
Bills will need sponsors of the companion bills in each body in order to be approved and passed on to Gov. Bill Lee, who called the special session.
So far, the Senate has bills on notification between mental health facilities and local law enforcement related to patient releases, mental health funding for the uninsured, private school handgun carry policy, liability release related to stolen firearms that were properly stored, adding a charge for threatening mass violence and emergency procedures for active shooter situations.
Rep. Jody Barrett, R-Dickson, has introduced bills to require an audit of each public school’s safety compliance and allowing handgun carry on school property unless the person knows that an armed security guard is present.
Meanwhile, Senate and House Democrats vowed Friday to introduce universal background checks, a red flag law, safe storage requirements and repealing a guns in trunks law.
“Tennesseans all across this state are calling for common sense gun safety reforms to protect kids by name,” said Sen. London Lamar, the Senate Democratic caucus chairwoman. “We owe the Covenant families and the thousands of Tennesseans who are affected by gun violence a real debate on these life-saving policies.”
The Democrats also would like to ban the sale and possession of conversion kits that increase the firing rate of semi-automatic rifle along with eliminating third-party dispossession as an option for offenders who are legally required to surrender their firearms.
“Our families want gun reform that saves lives by preventing future shootings and that’s exactly what we’re going to fight for in the special session,” said Sen. Raumesh Akbari, the Senate minority leader. “We know the controlling party doesn’t want to address the elephant in the room, but the facts are undeniable: Easy access to firearms is killing our kids and loved ones more than ever. It’s time to protect our families.”
