On April 11, 2023, Governor Bill Lee called on the Tennessee Legislature immediately to pass a law to make sure mentally ill people do not have access to firearms. While he "rebranded" - to borrow a phrase from Senator Jack Johnson - his call for a Red Flag law as one for a call for an "order of protection" - that does not change the substance of what he called for. 

A “Red Flag” law is also known as an “extreme risk protection order” and, apparently, for Bill Lee, an "order of protection."  Setting aside misleading labels, a Red Flag law is a gun control law.  It seeks to seize guns, often by means of an ex parte order issued without any notice or a contested hearing. 

While many legislators have signed pledges not to pass a Red Flag law or made assurances that no Red Flag law would be enacted in Tennessee.  But those assurances have only as much value as the integrity of the speakers making such statements and the measure by which such assurances are reflected in the entire Legislature.

For example, there is a bill by Senator Becky Massey (SB 0179) and Rep. Tim Rudd (HB0508) which seeks to amend Tennessee's mental health code.   That would be a part of the code where a Red Flag law could be placed.   These bills were filed early in the session but have had no meaningful movement or consideration in the respective committees or subcommittees.  No movement until April 17, 2023.   On April 17, 2023, Rep. Rudd's House Bill 0508 was curiously placed on notice to be heard in the House Health Subcommittee on a special calendar.  That is suspicious because this subcommittee closed on March 29, 2023.   As of April 19, 2023, there is no published calendar for this subcommittee and there is no amendment or proposed amendment published on the state's website. 

Another suspicious bill is by Senator John Stevens (SB1502) and Rep. Rusty Grills (HB1017).  The bill as originally filed would have required the TBI to post human trafficking information on its website.  However, it is a caption bill that opens up all of Title 39 and Title 40 which means it can be amended to do almost anything with respect to firearms.   The bill has not been heard in Senate Judiciary and that committee has reportedly closed for the year.  The bill has had no hearings in the House although it was assigned to the House Civil Subcommittee on March 29, 2023.   Of possible significance, that was 2 days after the Covenant school shooting.   Significantly, the House Civil Justice Subcommittee closed on March 21, 2023.  However, on April 17, 2023, the bill was placed on a special calendar for the House Civil Justice Subcommittee to be heard on April 19, 2023.

There may be other examples of closed committees that are being suddenly reopened and apparently stalled bills that have irrelevant purposes that are suddenly showing amazing life and speed.   What is common among these bills appears to be that any of them could be amended - without notice or opportunity for public feedback or testimony - to enact a Red Flag law in Tennessee.

It is, without a doubt, once again a 'Season of Shenanigans' in the Tennessee Legislature.  With these types of clandestine moves occurring, it is a safe bet that Governor Bill Lee, Speaker Cameron Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, as well as potentially other Republican leaders, are conspiring to push through a Red Flag law without the opportunity for Second Amendment proponents to see the proposed legislation, to provide feedback or testimony.

It is critical that Second Amendment supporters pay close attention to these shenanigans.  It is important to pay attention to who is helping deceive the public and who could stop the deception but fail to do so. It is critical that citizens pay attention to those who draw a line in the sand and refuse to conceal or cooperate with the conspirators.   Those who would aid in any respect to impair or violate the Second Amendment or to jeopardize your constitutionally protected rights must be identified and if possible opposed in their next election cycles.