Tag: gun control

Tennessee State Rep. Justin Pearson Restrained on House Floor After Confrontation with Republican Lawmaker

Tom Pappert
Pearson and Farmer altercation

Video appeared to show State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) being physically restrained on the State House floor by staff members and colleagues after an interaction with State Representative Andrew Farmer (R-Sevierville) over the Democratic lawmaker’s gun control legislation.

The incident occurred as Pearson appeared in the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee to testify in support of House Bill (HB) 1390, his red flag law legislation that would allow courts to iss extreme risk protection orders that allow law enforcement to confiscate firearms from citizens who are not accused of crimes, when Pearson apparently suggested lawmakers on the committee were shirking their duty to provide for the public safety of Tennesseans.

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Second Amendment Leaders Press DOGE to Stop Health Agencies’ Gun Control Studies

Just the News
Gun

Elon Musk is used to being vilified by the left, particularly since he was tasked by President Donald Trump to lead the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in trimming the waste, fraud and abuse that has bloated federal government.

Now, one section of the citizenry is actually asking him to push harder: Second Amendment advocates are asking him to block taxpayer-funded health agencies from spending millions on gun control research. 

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Trump Admin Scrubs Biden-Era ‘Firearm Violence’ Advisory from Government Websites

Daily Caller News Foundation
President Donald Trump

The Trump administration removed a Biden-era surgeon general’s advisory on the public health effects of gun violence and a similar webpage from the Health and Human Services (HHS) website.

Former Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a public health advisory on “firearm violence,” declaring it to be a “public health crisis” in 2024, though a link to the report was recently scrubbed from the HHS site. The advisory was part of the Biden administration’s broader efforts to usher in additional gun control measures at the federal level.

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Two State Legislators Challenge Sedona’s Ordinance Banning Firearms on ‘Any Trail or Open Space Area’

Rachel Alexander

State Rep. Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott) and State Rep. Selina Bliss (R-Prescott) are challenging an ordinance in Sedona which bans firearms on “any trail or open space area.” The legislators believe the law infringes on the right to keep and bear arms, since Arizona has some of the most Second Amendment-friendly laws in the country. They submitted a request to the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to investigate, known as an SB 1487 request for investigation, which prompted Sedona city officials to put it on the agenda for the December 10 city council meeting. 

Nguyen, who chairs the House Judiciary Committee and has held positions with the Arizona State Rifle & Pistol Club, said in a joint statement with Bliss after submitting the 1487 request, “I urge the City of Sedona to review Ordinance 12.30.090 to ensure it complies with Arizona law. It’s important that local ordinances do not infringe upon the constitutional rights of Arizonans or conflict with state statutes.”

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‘Tennessee Three’ Member Justin Pearson Hits Campaign Trail for Kamala Harris Because ‘She Came and Fought for Us in Tennessee’

Tom Pappert
Justin Pearson, Kamala Harris

State Representative Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) explained he is actively campaigning for Vice President Kamala Harris because she “fought” for him and other controversially anti-gun members of the Tennessee House of Representatives during a visit to Nashville last year.

Both Pearson and Representative Justin Jones (D-Nashville) were expelled from the General Assembly for their role in an anti-gun riot at the Tennessee Capitol in the wake of the Covenant School shooting last year, while Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) avoided expulsion.

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Tennessee GOP Leaders Threaten to Withhold Sales Tax Revenue from Memphis Over Gun Control Ballot Initiatives that Override State Law

Kaitlin Housler
TN Senate Speaker Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) and Lieutenant Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge) are speaking out against three gun control measures set to be presented to Memphis voters on the November 5 general election ballot which the Republican leaders say is an attempt by city leaders to “circumvent state law.”

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Ogles Challenger Accused Nashville Families of ‘White Flight’ During COVID-19

Peter D'Abrosca
Maryam Abolfazli

The Democratic Party challenger to Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in the November election wrote a column accusing white families of “white flight” when Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

“White flight, a phenomenon where white people leave significantly high-minority areas, is happening in our public schools,” wrote Maryam Abolfazli in a guest column in The Tennessean. “Reacting in frustration to the decision of Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools to halt in-person teaching, white parents who can afford to are transferring their children to private schools.”

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Kamala Harris Lobbied for Gun Control in Tennessee After Covenant School Shooting

Peter D'Abrosca
Kamala Harris and Tennessee Three

In the wake of the Covenant School shooting in 2023, Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic Party’s nominee for president, held a rally in Tennessee in support of the infamous “Tennessee Three” and to push gun control.

“We are here because [The Tennessee Three] and their colleagues, the Democratic caucus of the state legislature — and I’d ask you to stand as well, please, because they chose to show courage in the face of an extreme tragedy, which is that 11 days ago, six people, three educators and three babies, nine years old, were murdered senselessly due to gun violence,” she told students at Fisk University, a historically black college in Nashville.

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Tennessee Democrat Challenging Rep. Andy Ogles Blamed ‘White Patriarchy’ After Lawmakers Denied Gun Control Push in 2023

Tom Pappert
Maryam Abolfazli and Andy Ogles

The Tennessee Democrat who received the nomination to challenge Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) in November blamed the state’s “white patriarchy” last year after the General Assembly did not pass gun control legislation during a special session in the wake of the March 27, 2023, attack on the Covenant School.

Maryam Abolfazli, the Democratic nominee for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, wrote in an August 2023 article published by Tennessee Lookout that the “white patriarchy” was responsible for the failure of gun control legislation to materialize during the special session called by Governor Bill Lee in the wake the Covenant School attack.

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Top 10 Most Left-Wing Positions Vice President Kamala Harris has Held over the Years

Just the News
Kamala Harris

Vice President Kamala Harris has held very liberal – some would even say radical – positions on various policies over the years, and despite flip-flopping on occasion as political winds changed, her history indicates how far to the left her possible administration could swing.

From guns to energy, Harris has held liberal positions over the course of her political career. Some of her stated positions from her dismal 2020 presidential run have softened recently, largely occurring after she joined President Biden’s ticket in 2020.

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Justice Department Says TikTok Has Collected User Data on Issues Such as Gun Control and Abortion

Just the News

The Justice Department on Friday evening accused the social media app TikTok of gathering information on users’ opinions on social issues such as abortion and gun control.

Attorneys for the DOJ said in documents filed at an appeals court in Washington that TikTok and its parent company ByteDance used an internal web-suite system called Lark to get TikTok employees to communicate with ByteDance engineers in China.

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Commentary: The Second Amendment Is More Crucial than Ever After Attempt to Kill Trump

Admin
Man training at gun range

A 20-year-old man with a rifle, perched atop a nearby roof, fired several rounds July 13 at Donald Trump as the former president spoke at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, killing one attendee and wounding at least two others.

As we know now, one round nicked Trump’s right ear and he avoided a serious wound or death with a fortuitous head turn that moved him out of the bullet’s path at the last second.

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Metro Nashville Councilwoman Courtney Johnston Demanded Special Session for New Gun Laws in 2022

Tom Pappert

Metro Councilwoman Courtney Johnston, who recently announced a primary challenge to Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05), previously urged Governor Bill Lee to call a special session to pass legislation targeting firearms in a 2022 open letter.

Johnston argued in her letter that “thoughts and prayers are no longer enough” and urged Lee to “take a hard look at our policies and what we can and should do differently.”

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‘Non-Partisan’ Anti-Gun Group Forms Human Chain Around Nashville Children’s Hospital on Year Anniversary of Covenant Shooting

Peter D'Abrosca
Safer TN Event

A “non-partisan” political activism group that calls for gun control held a rally in Nashville Wednesday night on the year anniversary of the mass shooting at The Covenant School.

“Together, we will wear red and link arms as we mark the anniversary of one of our community’s darkest days and honor the memory of the hundreds of Tennessee lives lost to preventable firearm tragedies over the last year,” Voices for a Safer Tennessee said on its website. “Our goal is to form a chain of 13,000 people from Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt through Centennial Park and up Charlotte Avenue to our state capitol.”

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DOJ Creates New Center to Help Local Officials Apply ‘Red Flag’ Laws Against Certain Gun Owners

Admin
Merrick Garland

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced on Saturday the creation of a new entity to train state and local officials on procedures to apply “red flag” laws that temporarily prevent certain individuals from owning a firearm.

The National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center is an entity created under the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP) that will both educate and assist local officials when they initiate legal proceedings to obtain “red flag” orders that rescind an individual’s right to bear arms based on the belief that they pose a risk of harm to themselves or others, according to the DOJ’s press release. The individuals to be trained are “law enforcement officials, prosecutors, attorneys, judges, clinicians, victim service and social service providers, community organizations, and behavioral health professionals.”

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Democrats Advance Two Gun Control Bills in Minnesota House

Admin
MN Gun Bill

Democrats in the Minnesota House of Representatives advanced two gun control bills on Thursday that have Republicans, gun groups, and private citizens concerned.

HF 4300, authored by Rep. Jamie Becker-Finn, D-Roseville, would set new laws for how firearms must be stored. Under the proposed law, gun owners must either leave their firearms unloaded with a locking device, or store their firearms in a legitimate “firearm storage unit” such as a safe. Citizens who fail to do so will face legal consequences ranging from misdemeanors to felonies depending on the offense.

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Virginia House Passes Bills to Ban Firearm Sales, Increase Minimum Wage

Tom Pappert

The Virginia House of Democrats successfully passed HB 1 and HB 2, which would see the minimum wage in the commonwealth raised to $15 per hour by 2026 and make the sale or transfer of “assault firearms and certain ammunition feeding devices” a misdemeanor criminal offense.

Filed by Delegate  Jeion Ward (D-Hampton), HB 1 would see Virginia’s current minimum wage of $12 per hour increased to $13.50 per hour in 2025 before increasing to $15 per hour in 2026. It passed through committee with partisan votes, and narrowly passed in the House of Delegates with 51 votes in favor and 49 votes against.

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Nearly 75 House Republicans Demand Mike Johnson Oppose Reauthorization of Gun Control Law

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House Speaker Mike Johnson

A group of nearly 75 Republican members of the House of Representatives are demanding that Speaker Mike Johnson oppose the reauthorization of a decades-old gun control law, according to a letter obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.

The Undetectable Firearms Act (UFA) was enacted by the 100th Congress in 1988 and bans the manufacture, sale or import of any firearm that isn’t detectable by a door-frame metal detector or other security technology, which are commonly termed “ghost guns.” The law’s provisions need to be reauthorized before their statutory expiry date of March 8, with House Republicans demanding that Johnson not bring the Senate’s reauthorization bill, which was passed in July of 2023, to the floor.

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Rep. Faison: Democrat ‘Thoughts and Prayers Gun Tax’ Bill ‘Ill-Conceived’

Peter D'Abrosca

A Republican member of Tennessee’s General Assembly is critical of a Democrat colleague’s new bill.

HB 2193, introduced by State Representative Bo Mitchell (D-Nashville), “imposes an additional 15-percent tax on the retail sale of firearms [and] requires revenue from the firearms tax to be deposited into the K-12 mental health counselor fund to be administered by the department of education and used exclusively to provide school counselors in elementary and secondary public schools and public charter schools in this state and for mental health assessments and services for students pursuant to a school counselor’s referral.”

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Mexican-American Billionaire from New York Funds ‘Tennessee 11’ to Push Gun Control Agenda via ‘Citizen Solutions’ in 2024

Tom Pappert

The foundation created by Mexican-American “social entrepreneur” and billionaire Daniel Lubetzky is funding a group called the “Tennessee 11,” which seeks to pass a red flag law and other gun control legislation this year in Tennessee.

Lubetzky is the founder of the snack company Kind LLC, and it was reportedly worth $5 billion when the company was sold to Mars Inc. in 2020. When the company was under his management, Lubetzky was named a Presidential Ambassador of Global Entrepreneurship by former President Barack Obama and his administration’s Commerce Secretary, Penny Pritzker.

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Republicans Preemptively Shoot Down Mayes Red Flag Law Pitch

The Center Square

Attorney General Kris Mayes wants to propose red flag laws, but Republican lawmakers say it will not stand a chance in the Legislature. 

The laws Mayes wants would be targeted toward those who would be determined to be a risk to the safety of schools, according to Arizona’s Family. The report said that Mayes would be proposing legislation that would also allow firearms belonging to adults could be targeted if there is evidence that a minor in their household poses a risk of misusing those weapons.

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Tennessee Far-Left Gun Control Activist Announces Race Against GOP Whip

Peter D'Abrosca

A far-left gun control activist announced earlier this week that she will run against Tennessee House Majority Whip Johnny Garrett (R-Goodlettsville) in the state’s 45h House District. 

“I’m a mom, former teacher, and gun violence prevention advocate who is ready to fight for our kids. Join the movement today,” said Alison Beale Wednesday on X, formerly Twitter, imploring followers to visit her website to donate to her campaign. 

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Tennessee State Rep and Far Left U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson Calls for Cease-Fire Following Brutal Hamas Terrorist Attack on Israel

M.D. Kittle

Tennessee State Representative and liberal U.S. Senate candidate Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) has been relatively quiet on terrorist group Hamas’ horrifying attack on innocent Israeli civilians, but the Tennessee leftist’s first response was to call for a cease-fire.

Johnson (pictured above), who gained national attention as a member of the so-called “Tennessee Three” disorderly Democrat state lawmakers, fired off a message on her X account as Hamas members were systematically raping and murdering Jews.

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Smith & Wesson Cited Support for Second Amendment, Cost of Living as Reasons for Move to Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca

Gun manufacturer Smith & Wesson held a weekend ribbon cutting ceremony at its new $160 million headquarters in Maryville, leaving its former home in Massachusetts behind. 

“From where I stand, the next 170 years of Smith & Wesson are looking pretty good,” said the company’s CEO and President Mark Smith at the ceremony. “It is something special here in Tennessee.”’

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State Rep. Justin Jones Files Lawsuit Against Speaker Cameron Sexton Claiming Violation of Constitutional Rights

Peter D'Abrosca

A Democrat member of the Tennessee House of Representatives has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court in the District of Tennessee Nashville Division claiming that House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville) violated his constitutional rights when he was expelled from the General Assembly earlier this year. 

“Today my attorneys filed a federal lawsuit to hold Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton responsible for his unconstitutional and discriminatory actions. The people of District 52 deserve to have their voices heard without the threat of undemocratic silencing and retaliation,” said State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) on X, formerly known as Twitter, attaching a photo of the lawsuit. 

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Anti-Gun Celebrity Says Moving to Tennessee Saved Her Life

Peter D'Abrosca

A famous country singer who has been a driving force behind the gun control movement in Tennessee says that fleeing New York and Los Angeles and moving to the Volunteer State saved her life. 

“I completely relate to Nashville because I have a lot of friends there who are also in the music business,” Sheryl Crow told Rolling Stone in 2003. “But not only that, I just relate to the people. I relate to the friendliness and down-homeness. I feel a relaxation that comes over my body that I usually don’t feel when I’m in New York or L.A.”

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New Mexico Governor Responds to Judge Blocking Controversial Gun Control Order

The Center Square

A federal judge blocked parts of a controversial gun measure from New Mexico Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham Wednesday, but she is not backing down.

U.S. District Judge David Urias temporarily blocked the law, arguing that the executive order runs contrary to recent U.S. Supreme Court rulings on gun rights and violates people’s abilities to defend themselves.

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Democrat U.S. Senate Hopeful Once Said North Korea Has More Democracy than Tennessee

Peter D'Abrosca

A state representative who announced her run for U.S. Senate Tuesday once told a news outlet that North Korea was more democratic than the state of Tennessee.

“I feel like North Korea has more democracy than we do in the state of Tennessee, and it’s terrifying to me that we’re in this march to fascism,” State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) told Mother Jones in April. “And it seems like the Tennessee supermajority is leading the charge.”

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State Rep. Johnson Announces Long Shot U.S. Senate Bid, Blackburn Campaign Responds

Peter D'Abrosca

State Representative Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) announced Tuesday morning that she will challenge Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and immediately politicized the deaths of six people killed at The Covenant School in Nashville in a March mass shooting.

In an announcement video posted to her Twitter account, Johnson referred to those who oppose gun control as “bullies” and “cowards,” along with several references to The Covenant School shooting.

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Sources: State Rep. Gloria Johnson Could Announce U.S. Senate Run Tuesday

Peter D'Abrosca

State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville) will make stops in three major cities across the state Tuesday, and could announce her anticipated long shot U.S. Senate bid against Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), according to sources who spoke with The Tennessee Star. 

Johnson is expected to make announcements at 9 a.m. ET in Knoxville, noon CT in Nashville and 6:30 p.m. CT in Memphis.

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Colorado Gun Control Activists Phone Banking to Influence Tennessee Voters During Special Session

Peter D'Abrosca

A Colorado gun control activist last week posted a photo of fellow activists from an out-of-state gun control group phone banking to residents in Tennessee.

“Phone banking to Tennessee to help people contact their lawmakers about Secure Storage and Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” said an August 12 tweet from Pat Rottschaefer, who describes herself as a “proud member of Moms Demand Action and Everytown for Gun Safety.”

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First Red Flag Bills Introduced for Special Legislative Session

Peter D'Abrosca

A Democrat State Representative from Nashville has introduced the first red flag laws during the special session of the General Assembly, which began Monday. 

Rep. Bob Freeman (D-District 56) introduced HB 7100 Friday, which was followed by the introduction of its Tennessee Senate counterpart SB 7029 on Monday. State Sen. Jeff Yarbro (D-District 21) is responsible for introducing SB 7029. 

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Democrat Gun Control Bus Tour Stops in Chattanooga Ahead of Special Session

Peter D'Abrosca

Democrat Tennessee lawmakers Wednesday stopped in Chattanooga on their gun control bus tour, which began two weeks ago and will end in Nashville on August 21, the day the special session of the General Assembly, focused on gun control, will begin. 

The tour has been led by State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-District 55), and has been supported by likely U.S. Senate candidate and current State Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-District 90), who appeared at Wednesday’s event. 

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Teachers Union Conference Encouraged Educators to Lobby for Gun Control

Admin

A teachers union conference in July encouraged educators to lobby for gun control, according to a conference agenda revealed by the Defense of Freedom Institute.

The American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the nation’s second-largest teachers union, held a “Together Educating America’s Children” (TEACH) Conference July 21-23 featuring professional development workshops to teach educators tools and strategies to “help kids and communities succeed,” according to the teachers union’s website. One professional development session offered, “Speaking of Gun Violence: How Do We Ensure Educator Voices Matter?” was taught by “Teachers Unify To End Gun Violence,” an organization that works to help pass gun control legislation, and encouraged educators to “collectively raise [their] voices for change,” according to the conference agenda.

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Tennessee Lawmaker: Gov. Lee No Longer Pushing Red Flag Laws for Special Session

Peter D'Abrosca

A member of the Tennessee General Assembly Tuesday told The Tennessee Star that Gov. Bill Lee (R) will not ask Republicans to submit a bill for red flag laws during the upcoming special session. 

“The Governor is not pushing any type of gun control legislation nor is he pushing red flag legislation,” State Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) told The Star by email. “I was on the legislative task force the Governor pulled together to discuss options. He never once brought up or asked us to support a red flag law during the 3 meetings we discussed specific topics.”

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Tennessee Star Files Records Request for Information on ‘Handwritten Words, Drawings, and Numbers’ Found on Covenant Killer’s Clothes

M.D. Kittle

The Tennessee Star filed a public records request seeking information related to “handwritten words, drawings, and numbers” found on the clothing of Audrey Elizabeth Hale, the Covenant School killer, at the time of the mass shootings.

Michael Patrick Leahy, Tennessee citizen and CEO of Star News Digital Media, Inc., parent company of The Tennessee Star, filed the records request Thursday morning with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. MNPD officials sent an automatic reply acknowledging receipt of the request.

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Gun Control Nonprofit Commends Gov. Lee’s Special Session Announcement

Peter D'Abrosca

A new gun control nonprofit in Tennessee commended Gov. Bill Lee (R), who Tuesday officially issued a proclamation calling for a special session of the General Assembly, which will focus on gun laws.

“We commend Governor Bill Lee for issuing the official call for a special session to begin on Aug. 21, 2023, at 4 p.m.,” said Voices for a Safer Tennessee on its website. “While Tennesseans have voiced support for a broader scope of solutions to be considered during the special session, opening doors to discuss orders of protection, beginning to address background check challenges, and educating the public on the value of secure storage, are first steps in the right direction and mark the beginning of a process that will carry into the 2024 Tennessee General Assembly and beyond.”

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State Rep. Scott Cepicky on Special Session: ‘I Will Be a Firm No Vote’ on Any Legislation that Restricts Tennesseans’ Constitutional Rights

Tennessee Star Staff

State Representative Scott Cepicky (R-Culleoka) joined host Michael Patrick Leahy on the newsmaker line on Wednesday’s episode of The Tennessee Star Report to discuss the special session Gov. Bill Lee formally called in a proclamation last night. Cepicky broke down the steps ahead and shared his thoughts about the fate of Lee’s “Red Flag” law aspirations. TRANSCRIPT Michael Patrick Leahy: 6:18 a.m. – we are joined on a newsmaker line right now by our very good friend, State Representative Scott Cepicky. Good morning, Scott. How are you today? Scott Cepicky:  Good morning, Michael. How’s everybody doing today? Michael Patrick Leahy: Well, I was doing fine until I saw the governor last night release this proclamation for a special session, which will be held Monday, a week from Monday at 4:00 p.m. in the state Capitol. What’s your reaction to this laundry list of 18 things that he wants you to pass in a special session? Scott Cepicky: Well, Michael, the first thing I wanna say is I swore an oath to uphold the constitution of Tennessee and pass no bill or vote for any bill that is injurious to the citizens of the state. So I take that very seriously and…

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Gun Control Leftists Plan to Disrupt Faith and Freedom Coalition Anti-Human Trafficking Event Featuring Rep. Andy Ogles and State Sen. Jack Johnson

Peter D'Abrosca

The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition released a lengthy statement to The Tennessee Star Tuesday afternoon after a far-left gun control group directed its supporters to protest an event where the nonprofit’s Williamson County chapter will focus on eradicating human trafficking in the Volunteer State.

Representative Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) and State Senator Jack Johnson (pictured above, left) (R-District 27) will attend.

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Sources: Likely U.S. Senate Candidate Gloria Johnson to Use Special Session to Raise Campaign Profile

Peter D'Abrosca

State Rep. Gloria Johnson (R-Knoxville) formed an exploratory committee for her expected run for U.S. Senate, and a Nashville insider told The Tennessee Star that Johnson is expected to use the upcoming special session of the General Assembly as a bully pulpit to raise the profile of her campaign. 

“I’ve been told by people in the general assembly that say that she’s officially announcing the day before session, and then she’s going to roll right into session and grandstand and make the session about her campaign,” the source told The Star, adding that Johnson is expected to “ham it up with her two buddies,” referring to Reps. Justin Jones (D-Nashville) and Justin Pearson (D-Knoxville). 

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Tennessee Democrats Reveal Gun Control Bus Tour Leading Up to Special Session

Peter D'Abrosca

Tennessee’s Democrat elected officials will embark upon a statewide bus tour to discuss gun violence, which will end at the state capitol on the first day of the August special session on gun control. 

“I’m here to announce a statewide effort that we are spearheading,” said Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville), the Democrat caucus chair in a Monday morning press conference. “You know, too often we state legislators spend a great deal of time up here in the state capitol spinning our wheels about important issues. But today I’m announcing that my colleagues and I are putting some wheels on the road and heading out across the state to personally hear from and speak with Tennessee families on this important matter.”

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Formerly Expelled State Representative Holding Town Halls on Gun Control Ahead of Special Session

Peter D'Abrosca

A State Representative who was expelled from the General Assembly for his role in a gun control riot at the Capitol Building in Nashville will host town halls in Memphis to discuss the same topic with his constituents ahead of August’s special session of the General Assembly. 

State Rep. Justin Pearson (D-Memphis) was expelled from the General Assembly in April alongside colleague State Rep. Justin Jones (D-Nashville). Both men led a protest-turned-riot at the State Capitol in March, just after the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville. 

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