In the memo, Lee’s office wrote that the NRA’s plan “does not get at the heart of the problem, as it fails to address unstable individuals who suffer from mental health issues but do not qualify for involuntary commitment to a facility.” It’s unclear where the memos were circulated or how many people outside Lee’s office received them. They tout the governor’s proposal as “more targeted and more limited” than what the NRA currently supports. The documents reviewed by AP show that Lee’s administration drafted the talking points in April. The Legislature adjourned without taking up the issue in April, but Lee has since called them to come back to address the matter in late August. Lee’s wife, Maria, was friends with the head of the school and a substitute teacher who were among those killed.ĭespite Lee’s urging for lawmakers to pass his proposal, GOP leaders have resisted. The governor initially unveiled his legislation just weeks after six people - including three young children - were killed in a Nashville school shooting. “When you look at what the NRA is saying, is you currently have laws on the books - emergency, involuntary commitment,” Sexton told The Associated Press on Wednesday. He said some other areas of policy could be considered: involuntary commitment, more mental health in-patient beds, better database updating for background checks, a new state-level offense beyond the federal law prohibiting felons from having a certain amount of ammunition, and broadening state law so more types of violent threats could be considered a crime. Speaking with reporters on Wednesday, House Speaker Cameron Sexton further lowered expectations that Lee’s proposal has a chance to pass, saying he doesn’t think he and fellow Republican lawmakers support red-flag-esque laws. The NRA’s opposition is particularly notable because the group was a crucial player in Lee’s successful push in 2021 to pass a law that allows people 21 and older to carry handguns without a permit in Tennessee. He is currently facing pushback from both the GOP-dominant General Assembly and firearms rights advocacy groups, including the NRA, that are wary of increasing gun restrictions in ruby red Tennessee. So far, Lee has proposed keeping firearms away from people who could harm themselves or others. But he has since faced opposition from the group as he works to pass gun control legislation in response to a deadly Nashville school shooting that took place in late March. Lee has previously praised the NRA’s efforts to protect the Second Amendment. The memos, provided by Lee’s office as part of a public records request, reveal a rare criticism of the powerful gun lobby made by the Republican governor. Bill Lee’s administration accused the National Rifle Association of wanting to use involuntary commitment laws “to round up mentally ill people and deprive them of other liberties,” according to documents drafted by the Republican’s staffers as part of their initial attempt to pass a gun control proposal earlier this year. By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and JONATHAN MATTISE (Associated Press)
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