Tennessee Organizations Release Joint Statement Decrying the Political Antics and Lack of Reform from Supermajority 

NASHVILLE, TN — As the “Special Session on Public Safety” came to a dramatic end without any substantive reform to protect our communities from gun violence, organizations all across the state of Tennessee are aligned in their condemnation of the acts of the Supermajority Legislature during the special session.

“The organizations signed below all agree that no matter our races, genders, immigration status, and backgrounds or who we love or where we are from, all Tennessee lives are valuable and we all deserve the freedom to live in communities safe from gun violence where we can live at peace and thrive. This special session on ‘public safety’ was an opportunity for our elected leaders to pass gun safety legislation that the majority of Tennesseans support such as enhanced background checks and permitting processes to ensure that those who pose a danger to themselves or others do not have access to firearms, laws that ensure that firearms are stored properly to prevent children from accidentally accessing firearms, and limits on high capacity magazines.

“Yet unfortunately, Governor Lee and the Supermajority Legislature blocked true attempts at these common sense gun bills proposed by refusing to consider any policy related to firearms, showing all of us that they are unserious about creating policy that protects our children and families from gun violence. Instead they have shown us that they are focused on dividing us by race, gender, and class in an attempt to distract us from their failure to do their job to keep our children safe. We must ensure that their attempts to distract and divide us will not work. We are continuing to build an intersectional movement, during this time of attacks against ALL of us. We know our worth – and when we join together as Tennesseans, we can demand that our elected leaders listen to what our families are calling for: common sense policy solutions to gun violence such as universal background checks and safe storage laws. We absolutely cannot give up on our ongoing calls for peace and justice that ensure every Tennessean can work, play, and enjoy our neighborhoods, schools, and public places, safe from the fear of gun violence, no exceptions. We’ve seen the incredible power of our communities coming together to hold our governments accountable and pass policies that help our families thrive – and we won’t stop now. We will continue to fight together now to make sure our democracy is protected, and that our leaders listen to our cries for safety and opportunity in our state.”

Signed by: ForwardTN; Protect Kids Not Guns TN; African American Clergy Collective of Tennessee; Tennessee Equality Project; Memphis for All; AWAKE; Indivisible TN; Rise & Shine Tennessee; Southern Christian Coalition; Protect My Care; TIRRC Votes; TN Advocates for Planned Parenthood; East Nashtivists; The Equity Alliance; Inclusion Tennessee; and March for Our Lives