NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Just days after Governor Bill Lee announced the date for a special session to address public safety, one group is doing a statewide bus tour to push for gun law reform.
Tennessee Democrats were very direct in their message, "this is a cry for Governor Bill Lee and his super-majority to quit stalling, do their job, and protect children."
The tour kicked off in Memphis at the Civil Rights Museum Wednesday. It will go through Jackson and Dickson today, and Clarksville on Saturday in anticipation of the special session later this month.
Meanwhile, the GOP supermajority in the state legislature is criticizing Governor Bill Lee for calling a special session to tackle gun crime. Democrat lawmakers say they're limited on the legislation they can sponsor, based on Lee’s proclamation released Tuesday.
"It's pathetic that this call for gun violence restricts me from passing any gun-related bills. The Governor is wasting time," said State Rep. Bo Mitchell.
One lawmaker said the significance of the bus is to put emphasis on protecting children who ride them to and from school every day, and the fact that you have to have a license to drive a bus but not to have a firearm.
"We know what we need to do about it. We need the Tennessee General Assembly to take action and the way we get them to take action is events like this where all of us come together to leverage our people powers," said Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris.
Governor Bill Lee has not responded to this bus tour as a means to push for change in statewide gun laws. The special session is on August 21st.
