Tennessee Gov Bill Lee will strengthen background checks, calls for ‘order of protection’ law

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee (R) said on Tuesday that he will sign an executive order to strengthen background checks for buying firearms in the state and is calling for an “order of protection” law to keep guns away from dangerous people. 

Lee said at a press conference at Midtown Hills Police Precinct in Nashville, Tenn., that steps can be taken to try to prevent gun violence in the aftermath of the shooting at a private Christian elementary school where three students and three staff members were killed last month. 

“The truth is that we’re facing evil itself, and we can’t stop evil, but we can do something,” Lee said. “When there is a clear need for action, I think that we have an obligation, and I certainly do, to remind people that we should set aside politics and pride and accomplish something that the people of Tennessee want to see get accomplished.” 

The governor said a stronger “order of protection” law would provide safety for those who are at risk to those who are a danger to themselves or others. Orders of protection limit contact between a victim and someone who is harassing or harming them to ensure their safety. 

Lee said someone who has shown through due process that they are a “real threat” to themselves or others should not have a firearm. 

“I believe this will protect victims, that it will hold dangerous people accountable and away from firearms and that it’ll preserve constitutional rights at the same time,” he said. 

The Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress passed last year in the aftermath of the shooting in Uvalde, Texas, provided federal funding for states to enact red flag laws, which allow someone to petition a court to take away an individual’s firearms if they pose a danger to themselves or others. 

President Biden announced in February that the Justice Department would give $231 million to states to implement crisis intervention programs like red flag laws. 

Tennessee does not have a red flag law, but Lee wants to enhance the order of protection law to prevent these types of individuals from owning guns. He said specific details still need to be developed. 

Lee said he will also sign an executive order to create a 72-hour clock for reporting new criminal activity and require courts to submit timely and accurate information to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation. 

He said the bureau will also be required to look for operational barriers in sharing information in the current process for obtaining firearms and create a report within 60 days of the barriers that exist. 

“This executive order along with a new stronger order of protection law will provide that next step in making sure that our communities are a safer place to live,” Lee said.