Governor Bill Lee doubled down Tuesday afternoon on his call for a Tennessee General Assembly special session to address red flag laws with host Matt Murphy on 99.7 WTN.
Murphy: Governor, I know that you’re limited on time, so I want to get into the special session because we can spend all day talking about the pluses and the minuses of the regular. The special session will be focused on what, sir?
Lee: It’s going to be focused on finding a way to accomplish something that I think most Tennesseeans think we should do in this state. Which is to protect the rights of Tennesseeans. And in particular in this, with regard to this issue that we’re talking about, I’m going to talk about in particular, the Second Amendment rights of Tennesseeans, which is something that is very important to me and has been from the time I’ve gotten here and protect the public safety from those who are a danger to the public.
So I’ve said plenty of times, I think what most people really agree on is that people who are a threat or a danger to the public, we should understand who those threats are and we should protect the public from them in part by not letting those dangerous individuals have access to weapons and a strategy combined with a strong belief that the Second Amendment has to be protected and aggressively protected. We have to find a way to do that. And that’s what this special session is about.
Murphy: I know you have a hard out because you have somewhere to be, but I need to follow up on this and just ask you the simple question. I’ve talked to a lot of lawmakers. We speak to a lot of Tennesseeans, and I know that you’re avoiding the term red flag law, but even if you say an order of protection, where you’re talking about preemptively taking away the Second Amendment rights from individuals. Let me ask it this way, are people too quick to judge your proposal before examining it, seeing it, sitting down, and talking about it? Because I hear a lot of lawmakers saying that this special session is dead on arrival.
Lee: Yes. It’s important. You even used the word preemptively doing something with regard to the Second Amendment. I do think people ought to. I do think people ought to read the details of this law. It’s like no other law in America. There isn’t another one like it. It’s crafted by a guy who is arguably very clear and definitively has a background in protecting the Second Amendment.
I’m the governor that brought constitutional carry to Tennessee because I believe that law-abiding citizens should not have that right infringed upon by the government. But I also believe that in this state we have an existing law that if a man tries to hurt his wife and is a threat to her in a domestic relationship, we have the ability to separate that person from firearms.
It exists in law today. It’s already on the books. We do it every day in this state. But if that same man threatens to shoot up a school, we can do nothing about that right now. There’s something not right about that situation, and we need to find a way within the framework of protecting Second Amendment rights to take a person that is not preemptive and preemptively take those away. We’re talking about someone who has to have law enforcement bring the issue forward.
There has to be a due process so that we have a court hearing. No ex parte, no cutting short the due process. There hasn’t been a mental health evaluation that shows them to be a homicide or suicide risk. A judge has to then determine that there is no alternative treatment path for this person.
Then and only then if they’ve exceeded clear and convincing evidence and a high burden of proof, there is an order of protection. That is not preemptively taking away someone’s Second Amendment rights. That’s actually strengthening Second Amendment rights for those who are not a threat to the general public.
And that’s what we have said all along should happen in this state to close the, and by the way, this order of protection is temporary. One of the shortest and most temporary orders of protection that you’ll see in laws across the country.
There is a need to do something and there is a way to do that something in a way that is unique to Tennessee, that understands the protection of the Second Amendment and yet protects the public from mass violence. We do it with domestic violence. We can do it with mass violence.
Murphy: Governor, right now, if my informal polling of the audience in middle Tennessee and Tennesseans more broadly is accurate at all you have some convincing to do. Do you feel confident that by the end of the special session that you can speak to enough Tennesseans and by that, speak to enough representatives and senators that they will agree with you and you’ll see the passage of this?
Lee: What I think is that this is what Tennesseans want to happen. I think they do recognize that protection of rights is really important. And they are looking to us to protect those rights and that will have to happen. I also believe that they want to find a way to protect the public, to protect schools, malls, and individuals from people who are a threat to them. I think we can accomplish that.
That’s what I’m going to be talking to members of the Tennessee General Assembly about. And let me just say this, I have a long history of working together with the speaker and the lieutenant governor and the leaders and the rank-and-file members of the General Assembly. We’ve worked together for four years, going on five years now.
I have every intention of working together to find something that they agree on, that we agree on, and that Tennesseans agree is needed in our state. I think we can do that. I’m certainly going to make every effort. This will be a collaborative effort and we’re going to be talking to stakeholders all across the state, which is primarily Tennesseans all across the state, and get what done what they want to get done.
Murphy: And finally, governor, in the waning weeks of the legislative session, obviously observers, and I know you are observing like the rest of us, saw things go off the rails, and I was frustrated as a new Tennessean to watch as national news media mischaracterized this state as something that, I do not find it to be racist or anti-democratic in any way.
And that was largely led by the three Democrats who broke up the floor of the House. And I understand that is the legislative body, and you are not a part of the legislative body. But I wanted to give you an opportunity to speak to some of the mischaracterizations that this state has gone through over the last month or so regarding what happened in the House of Representatives.
Lee: I think that when you started this conversation, you said to me hey, what did you get accomplished? And I said, oftentimes there are issues that overshadow the most important things that are going forward. And that’s really what we’re talking about here. This is the best state in the country.
We are a state that people are highly attracted to. They’re coming here from everywhere. Companies are coming. We continue to talk to companies. Even this week, major corporations that have an interest in coming here. They know that we are a low-tax, business-friendly, and constitutionally-minded people who understand liberty and freedom. They understand that and that’s why they keep coming.
And this is one of the greatest states in the country, if not the best, in my view, frankly. What happens in a couple of weeks over the General Assembly, that are distractions, frankly, and that is mischaracterized by the press and whatever happens there those are not the overriding theme of what’s happening in this state.
We are leading this country in so many ways and we’ll continue to do so. And let me tell you, as governor, I will continue to lead in a way that I believe that the people of Tennessee want us to lead. And I think you’ll see the General Assembly working together with the governor do that every day, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do.
Murphy: I know that you haven’t settled on a day for the special session, or at least that’s what I’m told. Is that true that you haven’t settled on exactly when the call’s going to happen?
Lee: Yes, that’s right. So we’re talking to members within the General Assembly right now to, collaboratively begin by saying, what’s the best date? When can we get something done? What’s the best timing for this? So we have not set a date.
Murphy: My grandpa was a mechanic by trade governor, but he was also a farmer, and he always liked to say, that’s a hard road to hoe. And you might have a hard road to hoe in that field. But I know that you’re dedicated to getting something done and we’ll watch. And if there’s anything you need the Middle Tennessee folks to know about, you know where we are and we’d love to hear from you again.
Lee: (Chuckles) I’m always glad to be on your show, Matt and I appreciate that. We’ll stay in touch.
Murphy: All right. Take care.
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Photo “Bill Lee” by Gov. Bill Lee.
The whole thing is leftist blinders sham. U think a person couldn’t say break glass on doors with a bat or large metal pipe and do simar amount of killing ànd injuring as these lunatics who go crazy and the Lefts 3rd Reich solution is dis-arm citizens so they give u Chinese ccp style tyrannical beatings by police who Will enforce communism trampling of American citizens rights while knowingits wrong claiming its their job which doesn’t fly with any non brain dead citizens. Look at the countries who allowed themselves to be defenseless VS tyrant power hungry SCUM. Ask Australians how it worked out for them just during the covid fraud. More people are killed with knives. Most act gu “crimes”are done by people whom have a gun illegally and to boot they get treated better then a home owner whom shoots a burglar in their house at 2am. SlPs on the wrist. Nashville is a rarity that the guns were purchased legally but the whatever it or he/she was being treated for depression while taking God knows what for transgender nonsense. That is what needs a red flag u are taking drugs that are screwing with hormones etc your body because your DNA and brain is a male or a female biogically. There is no working with the left as their goal is having u defenseless when there chaos troops get into the 15million range over this illegitimate regime. They exploit tragedies that inevitably can be done without a gun in many cases but I’ll also add that u would rather be shot and die then be stabbed or beaten to death. I’m originally from Chicagoland and for years guns were not permitted in Chicago until its was challenged in court yet had plenty of shootings anyway. The left will continue trying to circumvent and backdoor the 2nd amendment because they know even democrats refuse to give up the right to defense. They want you to attack a transgender person who tries to piss u off till u assault them then u get a hate crime and what do ya know they will take your guns away. That is the disgustingness from people whom literally told us the Christmas parade in Wisconsin that it was the car not the perpetrator that ran over kids and grandparents. We banning cars? Or the knife thing? Baseball bats? How about acids that if thrown in your face your eyes are dissolved? Hammers,screwdrivers, chains? Flammable liquids? Blowtorch? Pieces of glass? How bour a cpl savage pitbulls made mean by the owner, how about box cutters? An axe? A sock filled with batteries anpiec3s of sharp metal? Needles fill with cyanide or or deadly fluid? Scolding hot grease? How bout a cpl bug bomb foggers in areas with no ventilation? MaybeI sound crazy but just examples of things u could inflict death or injuries that make u wish u were dead. I’d do a bat or certain other things simuhhutterlylation and prove Id be able to inflict as much or more carnage on young kids be4 im stopped.guaranteed..
Wait, you expect this group of cowards to uphold the Constitution and not cave to political pressure? Two words, Justin Jones. They caved on that clown, they’ll cave on the gun grab.
Is Lee really this stupid or are his liberal buddies putting the pressure on him? HIs proposal makes ZERO sense in the real world. He needs to get his head out the clouds or rearend (whichever or both). His track record of toll roads and the Ford giveaway have confirmed my belief that he is just a rich guy who bought the governorship so he could play god for 8 years.
I fully supported Bill Lee in his bid for Governor of the Great State of Tennessee. I believe him to be an intelligent god loving man. In his short time in the halls of government he has been convinced that government is the answer to many of our problems. This issue, like many others is more a result of institutional failures created by legislation. Personal responsibility and individual merit have taken a back seat to evil in every way imaginable. We really don’t need another law.
The last school shooting in Nashville was done by a person that no one not even her parents knew she had mental problems or any thing that would make them even think she would do something like this. So how is his bill going to stop the killing. I understand that people that are of sound mind get an idea and start thinking about it until they commit the deed. This sounds like it might cause trouble for good people that someone might not like and cause them to at least have to go to trial to prove themselves. Then again they would be at the mercy of a unfair judge or jury maybe in a local small town where maybe he wasn’t the most liked or friendly person in town, but was a good person that would not hurt anyone. I think this needs more thought put into it and maybe instead of this start a mental health program to help people.
“I’m the governor that brought constitutional carry to Tennessee because I believe that law-abiding citizens should not have that right infringed upon by the government.”
Oh no…that was just a little know document call the CONSTITUTION!
I understand he is under personal duress with this shooting since his wife lost a personal close friend. However, making decisions based on emotion is never in the best interest of citizens. Let’s talk facts. TN has had 3 mass shootings in the past 40 years. A mass murder could have easily been committed another way. Let;s talk about the criminally insane. The criminally insane will find any way to commit mass murder.
So if you want honesty, let’s start by seeing the manifesto. I suspect there is a larger involvement with the intelligence agencies and a larger plan to snuff out the “enemies’ of the left.
If you want it on the table Gov. Lee, show us the manifesto. We can then have facts to work within our constitution.
Lee is Governor of the State of Tennessee. As such, Lee is entitled to a respectful hearing on his legislative proposal(s) in the upcoming Special Session, and he will receive a respectful hearing. The pressures that will be brought to bear upon Tennessee’s legislators by Lee’s ‘team’ to pass Lee’s bill(s) will probably be enormous. The people of the State will be watching to see what our legislators do. If Tennessee’s legislators need to say NO to Lee’s bill(s), they had better say NO! No one gets a ‘do over’ this time! I fear that if Tennessee’s legislators CHOOSE POORLY in this matter, Tennessee Republicans will lose their legislative majorities (both the Senate and the House) in the upcoming 2024 elections. A lot is at stake in the upcoming Special Session of the General Assembly.