Gov. Bill Lee on Monday signaled his intention to call a special session of the Tennessee General Assembly to begin on Aug. 21.
In the wake of Nashville’s deadly Covenant School shooting in March, Lee — who has said that his wife Maria was close friends with shooting victim Cindy Peak — released language for an extreme risk protection plan that would temporarily remove guns from people deemed a danger. This year’s legislative session adjourned in April without heeding the governor’s calls for action, with Lee immediately saying he would call for the legislature’s return in the coming weeks.
While Lee still must issue a formal call for a special session, the governor says he plans to bring the body back with the intent to "strengthen public safety and preserve constitutional rights.” Some Republican lawmakers have already come out in opposition to legislation like Lee’s suggested extreme risk language.
In a release, the governor’s office also requested public feedback, sharing a form where Tennesseans can “engage in the conversation.”
For most public schools — including those in the Metro Nashville Public Schools system — the 2023-2024 school year will have already begun by Aug. 21.
