Governor Bill Lee urged Republicans and Democrats in the Tennessee General Assembly to work together in finding solutions to keep firearms away from dangerous people at a press conference on Tuesday.
Lee began the press conference by thanking law enforcement officers who responded to the shooting at The Covenant School on March 27th, 2023, before proposing new public safety measures in addition to the $200 plus million plan that was unveiled last week.
Lee’s school safety package, focused on beefing up school security, will implement funding to provide an armed guard for every school in the state. The budget will be amended to include $140 million in funds that will go toward the hiring and training of security guards.
Lee said to reporters, “When there is a clear need for action, I think that we have an obligation to remind people that we should set aside politics and pride and accomplish something that the people of Tennessee want to get accomplished.”
Lee has signed an executive order that aims to strengthen background checks and will require the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) to conduct a review of the current process for purchasing firearms in the state and report to the Governor and leaders of the Tennessee House and Senate within 60 days.
