Republican governor to call special session in Tennessee to discuss gun reform

Just hours after lawmakers gaveled out of session, Gov. Lee said he'll be calling them back to "pursue thoughtful, practical solutions to keep Tennesseans safe."

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee will call a special legislative session to address gun reform nearly a month after a mass shooting at a Nashville school -- an unusual step for a Republican.

Just hours after lawmakers gaveled out of session, Lee said he'll be calling them back to "pursue thoughtful, practical solutions to keep Tennesseans safe."

"There is broad agreement that dangerous, unstable individuals who intend to harm themselves or others should not have access to weapons," Lee wrote in a statement.

PHOTO: Gov. Bill Lee responds to questions during a news conference on April 11, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.
Gov. Bill Lee responds to questions during a news conference on April 11, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn.
George Walker IV/AP

Even while calling for reforms, Lee noted his "strong commitment to preserving Second Amendment rights, ensuring due process and addressing the heart of the problem with strengthened mental health resources."

In the final days of the legislative session, Lee made a pitch for lawmakers to pass what he called an “order of protection” law aimed at taking firearms away from those deemed a risk to those around them.

"Tennesseans are asking us to set aside Politics and personal pride. They are depending on us to do the right thing," Lee said in a Wednesday video appealing to legislators.

Tennessee House Republicans quickly shut down his proposal as a "non-starter." Some GOP lawmakers said they needed more time to review Lee's proposal, ABC affiliate WKRN reported.

State legislators adjourned on Friday with no action on gun reform, and Lee did not offer an official date for lawmakers' return to the state Capitol.

"It’s truly unfortunate that we’re rushing to adjourn our state legislature on only the 27th legislative day of the session when we’re allowed 90 legislative days per session and have not taken up a single gun safety bill. This failure is a complete breach of our legislative duty," Democratic State Rep. John Ray Clemmons tweeted.

Public pressure has mounted on the Republican-led legislature to address gun policy after six were killed at the Covenant School on March 27. A shooter armed with two assault-style rifles and a handgun, all of which were legally purchased, killed three students and three staff members. Officials have said that the shooter was being treated for an unspecified emotional disorder.

MORE: 'Nightmare': 6 killed in 'calculated' mass shooting at Nashville school

The three lawmakers later faced historic expulsion votes from their peers for allegedly violating the chamber's rules of decorum. Jones and Pearson were expelled, while Johnson survived her expulsion resolution.

MORE: 'Undemocratic': Tennessee legislature expels 2 lawmakers over gun violence protest

"The reality is we have a super-majority Republican legislature that doesn't want to see progress, that prefers to listen to the NRA rather than the constituents," Pearson told "This Week" co-anchor Jonathan Karl after his expulsion.

Pearson and Jones were both reinstated to the state legislature.

PHOTO: Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson hold hands as they exit the House Chamber at the Tennessee State Capitol building, April 3, 2023, in Nashville.
Tennessee Reps. Justin Pearson, Justin Jones and Gloria Johnson hold hands as they exit the House Chamber at the Tennessee State Capitol building, April 3, 2023, in Nashville.
Nicole Hester/USA Today Network via Reuters

Tennessee suffered 673 violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2020, according to the FBI.

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