Gov. Bill Lee responds to questions during a news conference Tuesday, April 11, 2023, in Nashville, Tenn. Lee held the news conference to talk about gun control legislation and an executive order to require information for background checks on gun purchases to be updated more rapidly. , Gov. Bill Lee on Tuesday called on Tennessee's GOP-dominant General Assembly to pass legislation that would keep firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others.
Lee’s call for a law designed to prevent people who may hurt themselves or others from acquiring firearms comes as Republicans maintain supermajority control in both the Kentucky and Tennessee statehouses, where GOP lawmakers have long resisted limiting gun access.To date, 19 states have red flag laws on the books — with many lawmakers enacting them after tragedies. Notably,after the 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland that killed 17 students.
. It’s a trend blamed on a lack of awareness of the laws and resistance by some authorities to enforce them even as shootings and gun deaths soar.., resistance to make significant changes to gun restrictions remains high. The change became law in 2021. In a recent court settlement, the state agreed to drop the minimum age to 18.