The Tennessee state Capitol saw excitement after lawmakers appeared to engage in a short physical dispute as the special session on public safety closed on Tuesday without passing significant gun control reforms Democrats have pushed for.
As a response to the Covenant School shooting in March, which left three children and three staff members dead, Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) called for a special legislative session to pass gun safety bills.
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Chaos at the end of the Tennessee House special session, where Republicans adjourned without passing meaningful gun reform.
Rep. Justin Pearson (D) then approaches Speaker Cameron Sexton (R) with a sign, and Sexton and his security/staff physically push past him. pic.twitter.com/YJSiv7RJTV
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Gun control advocate and Democratic state Rep. Justin Pearson and Republican House Speaker Cameron Sexton appeared to have had a brief physical interaction. Pearson, who was carrying a pink sign advocating gun safety, approached Sexton, who walked past him, and surrounding people blocked out Pearson, pushing him away, footage captured by reporters showed. Protesters in the gallery were chanting, “Vote them out,” as the interaction occurred.
Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones can be seen trailing behind Pearson. Tennessee’s House Republicans voted on Monday to silence Jones temporarily again after GOP members booted him and Pearson earlier this year before they were reinstated.
The pair was joined by state Rep. Gloria Johnson, also a Democrat, in a demonstration on the House floor advocating gun control legislation following the Christian elementary school shooting.
“As you all have seen and witnessed, it’s been a complete waste of time,” Democratic Rep. Karen Camper said in a press conference after the session adjourned. “It’s been a waste of money on the taxpayers. It’s been disrespectful to the Covenant families. It’s been disrespectful to the public at large and in fact to our members.”
Camper said at the end of the special session lawmakers had the chance to do something about gun violence but instead “wasted time” and “disrespected people.”
The Senate passed four bills with a limited number relating to gun control during the special session, and Democrats said the bills fell short. In the largest move, the Senate voted to send millions of dollars to provide safety upgrades for higher education institutions and granted funding for community mental health agencies in Tennessee.
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The Senate moved to pass a handgun safety bill that adds additional safety protocols to storing handguns and removes the sales taxes on firearm safes and safety devices.
“Lastly, even if you look at bills we passed, is it making us any safer?” Camper said. “The people expected us to do something to make the public more safer. We did nothing except waste time, disrespect people, and spend taxpayers’ dollars.”
