According to State Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville), also a candidate for mayor of Nashville, Gov. Bill Lee (R) met with Campbell in early April before he announced his August special session of the General Assembly, the focus of which will be to pass red flag gun control laws.
“I met with the Governor prior to his announcement of the special session but have not heard from him about this bill package,” Campbell told The Tennessee Star Friday. “My office would welcome the opportunity.”
Thursday, Campbell announced that she introduced 17 anti-gun bills, including a red flag law, which Lee says he is specifically pursuing during the upcoming special session.
“The Families Know First Act would allows [sic] 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,” Campbell said of her proposed red flag legislation.
Some of the other bills demand that Tennessee do away with its Constitutional Carry law, limit magazine capacity to 10 rounds or fewer, require that firearms be locked inside the trunk of vehicles at all times, ban “assault weapons” and bump stocks, implement a 72-hour waiting period to obtain a gun after purchase and require a government permit to purchase a weapon.
“After the bipartisan outcry that our entire nation witnessed from Tennessee citizens in the final weeks of our last session, it is appalling that state legislators are speaking out in opposition to our Governor’s call for a special session to address the epidemic of gun violence terrorizing our communities,” Campbell said in announcing her bills. “The people we represent have called on us to pass common sense measures that have been proven to save lives while respecting the rights of lawful gun owners. There is no higher calling than protecting the lives of our children.”
Campbell ran for U.S. Congress in Tennessee’s fifth congressional district. She lost by a wide margin to Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05).
The news of Campbell’s meeting with Lee comes after he reportedly met with rabid anti-gun Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville), who led a riot at the state capitol in the name of gun control after the mass shooting at The Covenant School that left six dead.
“We’re heading to the governor’s office so these students can meet with the governor about the special session and the urgency about having the special session before school starts and to make sure it prioritizes the common sense gun reform that these young people asked him for,” Jones said in a May 12 video while walking through the hallway of the state Capitol.
🗣️❤️🔥WATCH: “This state elected Bill Lee governor. NOT THE NRA.”
Rep. @brotherjones_ & students meet with @GovBillLee asking him to “protect kids not guns”, but he still won’t commit to making the August special session about common sense Gun reform… or even say the word.🤔 pic.twitter.com/MVGcIbg1ou
— The Tennessee Holler (@TheTNHoller) May 12, 2023
Lee’s office would not confirm whether that meeting took place.
It is unclear whether Lee has met with any Republican officials to discuss his gun control agenda.
His office could not be reached for comment Friday.
Ahead of the special legislative session, Tennessee House Republicans have already said that red-flag laws are a non-starter.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Heidi Campbell” by Senator Heidi Campbell. Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee. Background Photo “Tennessee State Capitol” by Gatorfan252525. CC BY-SA 4.0.
What good would that red flag have done to prevent the Covenant shooter? Her parents didn’t know she had guns and her Mom was anti gun. This shooting is just an excuse to push a Democrat agenda against the second amendment and the law abiding.
Sen Campbell appears ignorant of existing laws & the NICS background check run on all gun buyers. Before proposing new laws has she bothered to research the efficacy of existing legislation, has she bothered to note that in once Georgia county that mandated gun ownership that crime dropped? No is the more likely answer.
Now see crime rise in TN??
First things first; arm and train the teachers.
Second, let’s see the manifesto which will expose certain leftists.
And third, eliminate progressive politicians, gays, trans and all other weirdos. Enforce existing laws where a firearm is used in the commission of any offense.