NASHVILLE, Tenn. — After gun restrictions became the focus of community leaders during the previous General Assembly in Tennessee, and after lawmakers reconvened and failed to pass most gun safety proposals in 2023, a group of 11 Tennesseans created five proposals for lawmakers to again consider during the 2024 legislative session.
The group is named TN11, and it was created as part of Starts With Us, a nonpartisan organization that aims to address division and polarization across the U.S. The group includes a firearms instructor, a pastor, a college student, a public safety official, a family therapist, teachers and a former Tennessee Highway Patrol captain.
"We got together for three days, we just talked through, like, what is happening in our state? And then, what do solutions look like? And, it was probably one of the best experiences, definitely top-five experiences I've ever had in my entire life," said Arriell Gipson-Martin, a member of TN11. "Over 30,000 Tennesseans weighed in and, I don't know about you, but I lived in Tennessee my entire life and I've never seen 30,000 Tennesseans weigh in."
Their "gun rights and safety proposals" were developed as part of Citizen Solutions, a "civic experiment" organized by Stand With Us. A release from the group said Tennessee was the first state to participate in it and aims to empower average Americans to counteract extreme voices across the political landscape.
The group's five proposals are listed below.
- Temporary removal of firearms based on risk of violence: This echoes Governor Bill Lee's proposal giving law enforcement the opportunity to ask judges to remove guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others. The group suggested law enforcement pair with experts in crisis response to remove the guns.
- Tools to support responsible gun ownership: The groups suggested lawmakers develop tools to prevent illegal sales of guns as well as a voluntary background check system for gun sellers and gun buyers. It also recommended lawmakers offer resources to support people who don't feel safe and want to give their guns to a friend, family member or organization to hold.
- Expansion of School Resource Officer role: The group recommended changing the job description of SROs to include training on de-escalation and threat assessment, effectively transforming the job to emphasize human services grounded in restorative justice.
- Community investment to reduce trauma: The group recommended lawmakers work to reduce trauma in communities across the state, helping improve mental health outcomes while also improving economic opportunities to help people turn away from crime and violence.
- Gun issue literacy resources for schools, communities and media: The group said lawmakers should try developing age-appropriate gun issue literacy resources for schools, communities and media workers. The resources could include the emotional impact of using a gun against someone, the risks of using a gun, gun myths, gun violence risk factors and more. It also said public service advertisements could be created focused on safely storing guns and uplifting stories about responsible gun ownership.
The group did not suggest banning some types of weapons, and it did not suggest legislative restrictions that would prevent people from purchasing guns beyond the temporary removal proposal.
"We're hoping that they see the hard work that we put into this, that they recognize that we weren't complete strangers to each other. We didn't know each other and we were willing to put aside our biases, right, and put aside any preconceived notions, and then come together to focus on what was best for everybody, as many people as possible," said Gipson-Martin. "My grandmother told me something growing up, and I was reminded in this process. It's that you have one mouth, and you have two ears, right? So you should listen as much as you talk."