Tennessee mayors call for these stricter gun laws

Craig Shoup, Nashville Tennessean
·2 min read
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In the wake of the Covenant School shooting, mayors across Tennessee — including Nashville's John Cooper — are asking the state legislature to adopt stricter gun laws.

Joining Cooper were mayors Lee Harris of Shelby County, Tim Kelly of Chattanooga and Indya Kincannon of Knoxville. Together, they sent a joint memo to Gov. Bill Lee and other leaders to support extreme risk laws following the March 27 deaths of three 9-year-old children and three adults at Covenant School.

"Tennessee can save lives by implementing gun laws that have proven to be successful in other states," Cooper said in the memo to Lee. "While evidence suggests that banning assault weapons should be a primary policy consideration, this memo outlines ten common sense policy recommendations we believe should earn bipartisan support to enact this legislative session."

Cooper is seeking the state to implement a 10-point plan to curb gun violence, including requiring background checks on all gun purchases.

"This requirement would help close a loophole that currently allows felons and other people who are prohibited from possessing firearms to bypass a background check by buying a gun from an unlicensed seller," Cooper said.

Additionally, Cooper is calling for lawmakers to pass the following legislation:

  • Implement extreme risk protection orders, also known as "red flag" laws, that allow families and law enforcement to remove someone's guns. Supporters believe this prevents someone in crisis from accessing firearms.

  • Enhance safety of the concealed carry law. Cooper said Tennessee should prohibit individuals who have been convicted of a violent misdemeanor from carrying a concealed firearm.

  • Increase the minimum age to purchase a handgun or semiautomatic long gun from 18 to 21.

  • Require secure storage. Cooper is asking for Tennessee to adopt a penalty if a child or person prohibited from possessing a firearm gain access.

  • Limit gun theft from cars by requiring vehicle owners to lock their vehicles and store guns in locked compartments.

  • Ban high-capacity magazines greater than 10 rounds. Cooper said 14 states have laws banning these magazines.

  • Protect woman by prohibiting convicted stalkers from owning guns. Currently, people convicted of misdemeanor stalking in Tennessee can own a gun.

  • Provide funding for school threat assessment teams to identify warning signs and intervene before students commit violent acts.

  • Require reporting of lost and stolen guns. Cooper said there are 15 states that require lost or stolen guns to be promptly reported to law enforcement.

Cooper said he is encouraged by Lee's recent support of "red flag" laws but said now is the time to turn statements and sympathy into action.

Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@gannett.com and on Twitter @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to www.tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Harsher gun laws: Nashville's John Cooper leads Tennessee mayors' push