Gov. Bill Lee
(R-TN) urged lawmakers on Tuesday to put their “pride” and “politics” aside and
pass tougher gun laws
just hours before signing an executive order that would strengthen background checks for firearm purchases.
The
Republican leader
also called on lawmakers to pass an order of protection law aimed at keeping guns away from people who are a danger to themselves and others.
“This is our moment to lead and to give the people of Tennessee what they deserve,” he said during a visit to the Metro Nashville Police Department Midtown Hills Precinct. Several of the officers at the precinct were among the first to respond to the
deadly massacre at the Covenant School
in March, in which a former student shot and killed three children and three adults.
NASHVILLE SHOOTING: SHOOTER PLANNED MURDERS FOR ‘A PERIOD OF MONTHS’
“It’s important that we find a way to remove individuals who are a threat to themselves and to our society — to remove them from access to weapons,” Lee said. “I’m asking the legislature to bring forth thoughtful, practical measures to do that. To strengthen our laws — to separate those dangerous people from firearms, while at the same time preserving the constitutional rights of the people of our state.”
Lee said the executive order he would sign Tuesday afternoon would set a 72-hour period for reporting new criminal activity and require that the courts submit timely information directly to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. The TBI would also be tasked with taking a closer look at the process of buying a gun and how to share important information quickly.
The governor’s comments came as the fallout continued in the state legislature over the
abrupt expulsion
of two Democratic lawmakers for leading a gun control demonstration. One of the lawmakers, Rep. Justin Jones,
was reappointed
to his seat Monday. The other lawmaker, Rep. Justin Pearson, is expected to be reinstated Wednesday.
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Despite pleas, it is unlikely the state legislature will sign off on major changes to gun laws. Tennessee is a deep-red state that has strongly opposed any attempt to curb gun rights.
