Senate Speaker Pro Tempore Ferrell Haile announced yesterday he has drafted legislation that would make any threat of violence against four or more people a felony, reports the Tennessean. Threats would include the use of firearms, vehicles, a bomb or other weapon. Penalties would be increased for threats against schools, churches, government buildings or other locations where 250 or more people gather daily. Currently, a threat of mass violence at a school is a misdemeanor offense. Haile plans to file the bill during the Tennessee General Assembly’s upcoming special session.

Gov. Bill Lee's decision to focus a special legislative session on new and stricter penalties for children and teens within Tennessee's juvenile justice system has sparked criticism from juvenile judges and youth advocates, the Tennessee Lookout reports. The plan, which could send kids to adult courts and prisons and limit confidentiality of juvenile records, does not address the root causes of violence such as occurred at the Covenant School, critics say. They also note that youth crime in the state has declined significantly.

Gov. Bill Lee's proposal to temporarily restrict gun access for those deemed a danger won't be addressed in the upcoming special session responding to the Covenant School shooting. Axios Nashville reports that Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, cited lack of conservative support as the reason. Although not on the current agenda, the possibility remains open for lawmakers to introduce and discuss the measure during the session.

Former U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, who is senior counsel at Covington & Burling in Washington, D.C., is calling on Tennessee Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton to fully reinstate" Jones to all rights, duties and privileges of his office before the special session begins. That would include reinstating Jones to his committee assignments, the Times Free Press reports. Last Thursday, Nashville voters returned Jones to his seat after he was expelled for joining in pro-gun control protests inside the House chamber in the days following a shooting at The Covenant School.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has issued a proclamation calling for a special legislative session beginning on Aug. 21 to address public safety. In addition to his previously unveiled proposal to provide authority for courts to issue mental health orders of protection — which would temporarily remove guns from those deemed dangerous to themselves or others — Lee identified 17 other areas for legislative action focusing on the safe storage of firearms, mental health services and school safety policies. House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, has said he would like to see the legislature use the special session to focus on juvenile crime, mentioning bills that would raise the age at which youth can have their records expunged and lowering the age at which they can be tried as adults. WPLN has more on his comments. House Minority Leader Karen Camper, D-Memphis, said she was disappointed with the scope of the special session, saying she was hoping for a "serious discussion about gun reform in Tennessee." The Tennessean has more on reaction from the capitol.

The mother of a Covenant School shooting victim has released a video ad for the nonprofit "Voices for a Safer Tennessee," calling on state lawmakers to pass meaningful gun reform in the upcoming special session. In the video, Katy Dieckhaus says that her nine-year-old daughter, Evelyn, lost her life because "a troubled person" had easy access to firearms. The ad is part of a statewide public education campaign launched by the nonpartisan nonprofit, which is advocating for temporarily restricting gun access for people who pose a danger to themselves or others, closing background check loopholes and adding new gun storage requirements. Axios Nashville has more on the story.

The Tennessee Republican Party State Executive Committee on Saturday adopted a resolution calling on fellow Republican Gov. Bill Lee to abandon his planned upcoming special session, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reports. The resolution "encourages Gov. Bill Lee to reconsider and not have a special session." Many in the GOP-controlled legislature also are opposed to the special session and the legislation the governor wants considered, the Nashville Post reports. That measure would create a new order of protection law allowing judges to temporarily take guns away from those who are deemed dangerous to themselves or others.

Former Rep. Timothy Hill, who was appointed to fill House District 3 seat following the resignation of Scotty Campbell, was elected yesterday to fill the remainder of Campbell’s term, WJHL reports. Hill, a Republican, prevailed over Democrat Lori Love. Hill held the same seat from 2013-2020 and rose to the position of House majority whip. He gave up the seat in 2020 to run for Congress after U.S. Rep. Phil Roe announced his retirement. He and other Republican hopefuls lost the primary to now-Rep. Diana Harshbarger. The state House seat became vacant when Campbell resigned in in April over sexual harassment issues.

As the U.S. Department of Justice commences a civil rights investigation of Memphis Police, state Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, is calling for an overhaul of the Memphis Shelby Crime Commission, including removal of director Bill Gibbons. “We need a real Crime Commission,” Hardaway said, challenging the next Memphis mayor to appoint a group accountable to the public. Gibbons, who has been Shelby County district attorney general, Tennessee Homeland Security commissioner, Memphis City Council member and Shelby County commissioner, heads the 50-member commission, which was created in 1996. In 2022, the commission released a new plan to reduce crime after violence escalated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Tennessee Lookout has more on the news.

The Tennessee Firearms Association is launching an initiative aimed at defeating Gov. Bill Lee’s proposed gun control measure. John Harris, the group’s executive director, says they’re calling the campaign “Red Flag Down.” Instead of separating dangerous people from guns, Harris argues that Tennessee gun owners want to see dangerous people separated from society, temporarily, for mental health treatment. Nashville Public Radio has more on the story.