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'Looking for a change' | Memphians speak out on gun violence ahead of Tennessee's special session

Over the weekend, Memphians impacted by gun violence — including local students — weighed in on what some hope will be a historic week.

Tennessee's special legislative session on public safety starts Monday. Governor Bill Lee first called the session after the deadly covenant school shooting in Nashville earlier this year.

Over the weekend, Memphians impacted by gun violence — including local students — weighed in on what some hope will be a historic week. 

The Tennessee general assembly convening outside of the regular session, which typically runs from January to May, means an additional cost to the taxpayers as lawmakers are brought back to the capitol.

That cost per day for this special session is estimated to be nearly $60,000. Still, some Memphians said doing something to stop lives from being lost to gun violence is priceless. 

Ira Sharma, a White Station High School student, said that "common sense gun safety regulations that are going to lead to positive outcomes for our state" was the reason she gathered with others on Saturday.  

Tikeila Rucker attended the Downtown gathering representing Memphis for All, a social-justice oriented group "fighting for democracy, solidarity and justice — inside and outside the ballot box."

"We are not okay with things continuing the way that they are," Rucker said. "It's the not-so-special session as I see it because the proclamation that we've seen does not address the root causes as it relates to gun violence."  

Governor Bill Lee's special session call laid out 18 topics of discussion including juvenile justice, law enforcement's access to information for those who are under mental health treatment and the controversial extreme risk mental health order of protection. This is also commonly what's known as a "red flag law."

It's this topic that students like Sharma are urging lawmakers to implement some iteration of, allowing law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from those who are a threat to themselves or others. 

"People in our state are experiencing a very real mental health crisis and unfortunately in those situations, we end up with acts of gun violence," Sharma said. "The extreme risk protection order, in my opinion, is one of the most important one of our demands because it allows for people in severe crisis to make sure they don't harm themselves or other people."  

Lee's proclamation for an extraordinary special session on public safety is expected to touch on topics like mental health and the safe storage of firearms, but some gun reform advocates say that's not enough.

"We need legislators — Bill Lee included — that are going to commit to the safety of our children," activist Regina Clark said.  "We've got people out here who are losing their lives because they're sick and because others are sick, and we want to still allow them to have guns?" 

Governor Lee has faced backlash from both Republican and Democratic leaders as the special session approaches, with Democrats upset at the parameters of his proclamation and Republicans not happy he called the special session at all.

Still, protestors like student Sharma take another approach.  

"I believe that all our legislators, in their heart, they have concern for all of us," Sharma said. "They just see it in different ways."

Ultimately, Memphian Terry Davis said he is concerned for his grandkids. He said he fears that they could be impacted by a shooting in their school.

"We're looking for a change," he said. 

  

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