The first bills for the upcoming special session of the General Assembly, officially scheduled Tuesday by Gov. Bill Lee (R), have been filed.
The special session begins on August 21, but according to the General Assembly’s website, legislation is already in the works.
State Representative Dwayne Thompson (D-Cordova) filed HB7001, which mandates that courses required to obtain a concealed handgun carry permit include training on how to use gun locks.
State Representative William Lamberth (R-Portland) filed HB7002, which directs school districts to plan how students should evacuate a school should a fire alarm sound outside of a normal fire drill.
Lamberth also filed HB7003, which would allow victims of aggravated stalking and especially aggravated stalking to file lifetime protection orders against the perpetrators of those crimes.
These protection orders are different from “order of protection” laws, also known as red flag laws, that Lee has suggested.
HB7004, also introduced by Lambert, says that if a person is taken to a mental health facility by a law enforcement entity, the mental health facility is required to notify the law enforcement agency upon the person’s release from the facility.
None of the bills filed so far broach the topic of red flag laws, which is expected to be the subject of intense debate during the session.
Elected Republicans have vowed that no red flag laws will be passed during the session.
“Any red flag law is a non-starter for House Republicans,” the House majority party said in April. “Our caucus is focused on finding solutions that prevent dangerous individuals from harming the public and preserve the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. We have always been open to working with Governor Lee on measures that fit within that framework.”
Lee has found allies in Democrats in the General Assembly who support his call for red flag laws.
“It really is starting to feel like we’re on the same team,” Raumesh Akbari, the Democratic minority leader of the Tennessee State Senate, told NBC in May. “It has been fascinating to see him break from his caucus, from his party, given that they have not been willing to embrace the possibility of gun safety legislation, especially after what happened at Covenant.”
The special session was called in response to a mass shooting at The Covenant School in March, where six people were killed.
Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the perpetrator of the shooting who identified as transgender and was killed by police at the scene, left a manifesto behind. That manifesto has not been released, and no motive has been established for the killings.
The Star News Network has filed a lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) seeking the public release of the manifesto.
The Star has also filed a lawsuit against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County seeking the same.
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Pete D’Abrosca is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Pete on Twitter.
Photo “Bill Lee” by Bill Lee. Background Photo “Tennessee House of Representatives Chamber” by Antony-22. CC BY-SA 4.0.
