Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee passes resolution calling on Governor Bill Lee to NOT proceed with calling a gun control Special Legislative Session.
On Saturday, August 5, 2023, the Republican State Executive Committee passed a resolution (it is not on its website) that calls on Bill Lee not to call the Tennessee Legislature into special session as he has threatened to do starting August 21, 2023, to enact his gun control agenda.
According to reports from Tennessee Star and the Chattanooga Times Free Press
The Times Free Press reported:
The motion on a resolution was originally proposed by Chris Morris, an executive committee member from Giles County.
“He’s putting the state, he’s putting legislators, both the House and Senate in danger,” Morris said at the meeting. “We’ll be the only state in a special session, and guess what? We’re going to be inundated with those others, for these crazies from other states.”
Morris said he was in the House gallery earlier this year as House Republicans expelled two lawmakers as they staged an impromptu floor protest of state gun laws following the Covenant shooting.
“I don’t know how many of y’all were up there — I was — when they removed the lawmakers, and it was crazy being one of two people in the gallery with all these nuts around you,” Morris said. “And the problem is, we as Republicans don’t get off our do-nothing and quit leaning back on our elbows and do less and go up there and support these legislators.
“We should be the ones packing the House. We have the majority, but we don’t. … I just think this body, we should issue a statement to the governor to stop” and not formally call lawmakers back to Nashville.
Committee member John Stanbery of Cleveland told the Times Free Press that legislators had an opportunity to pass the order of protection bill when they were in regular session and chose not to.
“So I personally do not know why you would call them back to do something they’ve already rejected,” Stanbery said. “They rejected it by choosing not to do it. Secondly, I think it paints a target on all their backs. I think they’re going to come up here and have to walk a gantlet. And a lot of it will be out-of-state people. And so I think it puts an unreasonable strain not only on government but their safety and security.”
Ultimately, it is likely that Governor Bill Lee, as he has ignored the calls of voters and even Legislators not to call the special session, will likely ignore the apparently unanimous resolution of the Republican State Executive Committee.
There is not really much that the State Executive Committee can do about that – but it can take up the issue of whether to reprimand or even expel Governor Lee as a “bona fide” member of the Republican party. Indeed, since he is openly carrying and pushing a pro-Democrat legislative agenda that is a direct attack on a constitutionally protected right, perhaps that is something that they should consider.
The Governor’s Red Flag gun control Special Session is just around the corner. Indicators suggest that he intends to present a “package” of bills, not just a Red Flag proposal. That is dangerous! Less than 3 weeks out and the public has no idea what @GovBillLee is planning…
— Tennessee Firearms Association (@TennFirearms) August 4, 2023
About Tennessee Firearms Association:
The Tennessee Firearms Association is dedicated to defending the right to keep and bear arms and promoting the responsible use, ownership, and carrying of firearms.
- TFA Website: www.tennesseefirearms.com
- TFA PAC: www.tfalac.org
- Facebook TFA Page: www.facebook.com/Tennfirearms/
- Facebook TFA Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TennesseeFirearms/
- Twitter: @Tennfirearms
