Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee stepped to the front of the gun safety issue Tuesday when he asked legislators to craft an order of protection law and to get it to his desk during this session.
At the same time, he said he would sign an executive order aimed at strengthening background checks for gun purchases. That order would create a 72-hour reporting period for new criminal activity and ensure courts submit accurate, timely information to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). It also requires the TBI to examine the process for purchasing firearms.
“This is our moment to lead and to give the people of Tennessee what they deserve,” Lee said.
On Sunday, in the wake of the decision by state Senate Judiciary Chairman Todd Gardenhire, R-Chattanooga, to postpone all gun bills to next year following the mass shooting of six people at a Nashville Christian school, we suggested the governor and top legislative officials take the time between now and next January to craft legislation that would put the state at the forefront of gun safety reform.
Such action, we said, would “prove that Tennessee can be a leader both in protecting Second Amendment rights and in safety from guns.” The state could do so, we said, “with the right leadership and and the right persuasion.”