NASHVILLE, Tenn. — On Monday, lawmakers gathered in Nashville for a special session meant to focus on public safety. While lawmakers flocked to the state Capitol, several national advocates and families of shooting victims also traveled to Nashville.
Parents of children who were fatally shot at The Covenant School earlier in 2023 called on lawmakers to pass gun restrictions to prevent future shootings. They also said they supported a proposal creating a Mental Health Order of Protection for Firearms. The order would effectively allow judges to approve law enforcement dispossessing guns from people who pose a threat to themselves or others.
"In addition to supporting legislation to reform firearm laws, we are focused on protecting the rights of victims of violent crime — especially minor children and their families. No family should have to endure the added pain of having their murdered child's autopsy report released to the public domain," said Melissa Alexander, a parent from The Covenant School.
Some parents of students at the school announced the creation of two new nonprofits in July. One is aimed at promoting school safety by educating families about the impact and prevention of school shootings, as well as improving mental health support. It is named the Covenant Families for Brighter Tomorrows.
The other is meant to drive legislative change to protect children and staff in schools, named Covenant Families Action Fund.
Those families were joined by national advocates from Moms Demand Action. That organization works to promote stronger gun restrictions across the U.S. and protect people from gun violence.
Organizers from that nonprofit called for lawmakers to pass "red flag" gun laws, which would effectively allow law enforcement to ask judges for permission to dispossess a person's guns if they pose a threat to themselves or others.
They also said they believed Gov. Lee's proclamation for the session fell short of protecting children. In the proclamation, lawmakers could discuss subjects and bills ranging between 18 topics. Those are listed below.
- Mental health resources, providers, commitments, or services;
- School safety plans or policies;
- Healthcare providers' duty to warn about potential violent offenses;
- Offenses of committing acts of mass violence or threatening to commit acts of mass violence
- Reports from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation regarding human trafficking;
- Identification of individuals arrested for felonies;
- Law enforcement's access to criminal and juvenile records;
- Law enforcement's access to information about individuals who are subject to mental health commitment;
- Information about victims of violent offenses;
- Stalking offenses;
- Measures encouraging the safe storage of firearms, which do not include the creation of penalties for failing to safely store firearms;
- Temporary mental health orders of protection, which must be initiated by law enforcement, must require a due process hearing, must require the respondent to undergo an assessment for suicidal or homicidal ideation, must require law enforcement to prove its case by clear and convincing evidence, must require that an order of protection be reevaluated at least every one-hundred eighty (180) days, and must not permit ex parte orders;
- The transfer of juvenile defendants aged sixteen (16) and older to courts with criminal jurisdiction, which must include appeal rights for the juveniles and the prosecuting authorities;
- Limiting the circumstances in which juvenile records may be expunged;
- Blended sentencing for juveniles;
- Offenses related to inducing or coercing a minor to commit an offense;
- The structure or operations of state or local courts;
- Making appropriations sufficient to provide funding for any legislation that receives final passage during the extraordinary session; making appropriations sufficient to pay the expenses of the extraordinary session, including the expenses of carrying out any actions taken pursuant to this proclamation; making appropriations sufficient to support mental health initiatives; making appropriations for school safety grants, as described on page B90 of the 2023-2024 Budget Document and in Section 54, Item 1-41, Section 60, Item 25, and Section 60, Item 26 of Chapter 418, Public Acts of 2023; and making appropriations to support school safety at institutions of higher education.