Governor calls on legislators to pass ‘Order of Protection’ Bill
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Gov. Bill Lee is calling on state legislators to pass an “Order of Protection” law.
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. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Lee is asking the legislators to pass the new law, which he says would “improve Tennessee’s existing ‘Order of Protection’ framework,” before the end of the current session.
Lee released a video saying that the current laws are not doing enough.
SEE ALSO: West Tennesseans react to Gov. Lee’s call for gun legislation
“But in Tennessee right now, if a husband threatens to hurt his wife, an Order of Protection would temporarily restrict his access to weapons to protect the spouse. If that same man threatens to shoot himself or a church or a mall, our proposal will provide that same level of protection to the broader public. We have a proven solution that gets to the heart of the problem – an improved Order of Protection law to save lives and preserve the Second Amendment,” he said in the video.
Overall, the governor says this proposed bill would keep firearms out of the hands of those “who are a threat to themselves or others” while “also requiring due process and a high burden of proof to preserve the Second Amendment.”
House Bill 1574/Senate Bill 1564:
“…allows a court to issue a risk protection order upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence that a person poses a significant danger of causing personal injury to the person or others if allowed to possess or purchase a firearm; authorizes a law enforcement officer or a relative to petition for the risk protection order.”
Gov. Lee’s video message can be viewed below:
This comes shortly after the legislators pushed forward a bill that would add protection to gun manufacturers in the state. You can read more about that bill here.
The debate over the regulation of firearms in Tennessee picked up heavily following the shooting that left six people dead at The Covenant School in Nashville.
According to The Associated Press, Tennessee legislators have also advanced legislation designed to add more armed guards in public and private schools and are considering a proposal that would allow teachers to carry guns.
They report that Lee has also issued executive orders to strengthen background checks.
In mid-March, before the shooting, two Democratic-sponsored bills that would have revoked permit-less carry in Shelby and Davidson County, and created programs using “already existing resources” failed in the Tennessee Senate.
You can find all the bills relating to “Firearms and Ammunition” that have been brought up in the Tennessee General Assembly here.
You can find more news from across the state here.
