Far-left Democrat State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) joined other Tennessee liberals demanding gun control in the state.
“Yes, I have every intention of bringing back my red flag bill, as well as my safe storage legislation in January,” she tweeted on Wednesday.
Yes, I have every intention of bringing back my red flag bill, as well as my safe storage legislation in January. https://t.co/SvaKcGoNkX
— Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) May 27, 2022
Johnson has tweeted a number of times in recent days on the gun issue.
“I am a #GunOwnersForSafety and the Russian asset, the NRA, doesn’t represent me,” she said on Saturday, responding to a call by David Hogg to use that hashtag in tweets lambasting the National Rifle Association.
I am a #GunOwnersForSafety and the Russian asset, the NRA, doesn’t represent me. https://t.co/M6XRrvt6hg
— Rep. Gloria Johnson (@VoteGloriaJ) May 28, 2022
Previously, The Tennessee Star reported State Representative John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) also called for anti-gun legislation. He wants the General Assembly to have a special session.
Speaker of the Tennessee House of Representatives Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) does not support Clemmon’s call for a special session. Sexton said that Clemmons is “trying to be relevant while politically grandstanding.”
“He knows Tennessee state law only applies to individuals 21 and over for permitless carry, while the individual in Texas was 18,” the speaker said.
Prior to that response issued to The Star, Sexton issued a statement on the idea of a special session on gun control.
“I don’t understand the request to call for a special session due to the tragic event in Texas when the active shooter was 18, and Tennessee’s law for permitless carry legislation is for individuals over the age of 21,” he said. “During incidents like these, some will immediately blame the gun – I think we need to better understand our youth and students; we all know teen suicide rates are increasing. What is causing that? Why did this individual believe this action was appropriate? Were any signs missed?”
Sexton did mention ideas designed to secure schools in his statement.
“I am in favor of enhancing and extending funding to continue having School Resource Officers (SROs) at every school to strengthen security measures at the facility, providing active training to our educators on how to prevent, mitigate, and respond to a violent, critical incident, and by adding more wraparound mental health services for students – like additional social workers and psychologists so students can have intervention before a crisis arises,” he said.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR, Twitter, and Parler.
