One year after Covenant shooting, no substantial gun reform has passed in Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In the year since the devastating Covenant School shooting, numerous polls have shown support for changes to the state’s gun laws.
But nothing has happened, as Tennessee’s Republican supermajority has blocked any legislation even hinting toward a change.
“It’s not just about a specific policy, but it’s an existential fight. It’s about a way of life, it’s about not losing control of a way of life,” Dr. Sekou Franklin, a political science professor at MTSU, said. “It’s about the changing of Tennessee, the changing demographics of America, and gun reform diverges with a more diverse group, a more diverse electorate, a more diverse population, the changing of America.”
1 year later: The aftermath of The Covenant School shooting
Granted, many Republican lawmakers in our state take polls with some skepticism. The wording of questions, the field of respondents, the person or company running the poll, every detail can influence the answers.
“A vast majority of my constituents do not support a red flag or an order of protection law. I don’t need a poll to tell me–I don’t make decisions on polls anyway,” Rep. Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville) told News 2 last year. “But you look at the makeup of the body, and the vast majority of the constituents of my Republican colleagues are telling them the same thing.”
Democrats have, somewhat hopelessly, urged their colleagues on the other side of the aisle to at least think about changes.
“I’m a gun owner, and other gun owners agree with me,” House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) said. “There are things that we can do to encourage responsible gun ownership.”
Where does gun legislation stand in Tennessee one year after Covenant School shooting?
But Republicans have pushed that even the slightest form of gun control will eventually lead to a mass ban of all firearms.
“Moderate gun reform measures are seen as Trojan Horses, that they could open up the floodgates for large reform,” Dr. Franklin said.
This year is also a presidential election year, meaning voter turnout will be significantly higher all the way down the ballot, including state House races.
“Many Republicans are wary about pushing for gun reform, even moderate reform, because they feel they may be primaried,” Dr. Franklin said.
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In today’s polarized political landscape, lobbyists realize they can influence many of the state’s laws, with the threat of donations to defeat lawmakers who don’t give them what they want.
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