Lee Asking for Special Session on Public Safety Legislation

SABRINA BATES

MVP Regional News Editor

Gov. Bill Lee is calling on the Tennessee General Assembly to hold a special session to pass legislation “that will strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights,” as announced by his office.

Lee announced that he will call for the Tennessee General Assembly to convene the legislative session on August 21, 2023.

“After speaking with members of the General Assembly, I am calling for a special session on August 21 to continue our important discussion about solutions to keep Tennessee communities safe and preserve the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens,” said Gov. Lee.

“There is broad agreement that action is needed, and in the weeks ahead, we’ll continue to listen to Tennesseans and pursue thoughtful, practical measures that strengthen the safety of Tennesseans, preserve Second Amendment rights, prioritize due process protections, support law enforcement and address mental health.”

Tennesseans are invited to engage in the conversation by sharing feedback at https://stateoftennessee.formstack.com/forms/specialsession_public_safety.

Gov. Lee said will meet with legislators, stakeholders, and Tennesseans throughout the summer to discuss practical solutions ahead of the special session.

Five bills related to guns, access to weapons and ammunition were introduced by Tennessee legislators during the regular session. The legislative proposals were placed on the Delayed Bills Committee Calendar for the House and Senate.

The House committee did not approve the bills and instead took them off of notice. In response, two of the proposals saw more sponsors. The following is a summary of each proposal:

–HB 1574/SB 1564, Firearms and Ammunition: As introduced, allows a court to issue a risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or a relative to petition for the risk protection order. This bill has additional sponsors.

–HB 1575/SB 1568, Handgun Permits: As introduced, removes the authority to ………..
…………….FOR COMPLETE STORY, PLEASE READ 5/4/23 ISSUE OF THE REVIEW……………..