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☆ Opinion | Let’s Protect Children at Least as Well as We Protect Ducks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Dan Ashe | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

President Biden could borrow from the nation’s success in protecting ducks. The executive branch has plenty of discretionary authority to regulate federal lands, including the ability to restrict firearms possession in many areas (a power it now uses to restrict guns in courthouses, post offices and many national parks and on other federal lands). It can and should prohibit shooting assault weapons or any firearms capable of shooting more than five or 10 rounds, without reloading, on federal land, or at any public shooting range that receives federal funding or is under federal license. The challenge for the president will be to overcome a gun culture that permeates federal land-managing agencies and their state counterparts. He can also ask the major hunting, fishing and conservation organizations, like the Boone and Crockett Club, Ducks Unlimited and the National Wildlife Federation, to urge state wildlife agencies to ban assault weapons for any hunting.

☆ A Christian group has amassed more than 12,000 signatures to oust the Tennessee Republican leader who expelled two Black lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-15 | by ( Katie Balevic | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Christians are calling for Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton's resignation. A petition gained more than 12,500 signatures after Sexton led a vote that expelled two Black lawmakers. A lone white lawmaker, who stood with the two expelled members, was spared in the expulsion vote. Thousands of Christians are calling for the resignation of Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican, who sparked national outrage for heading a vote that expelled two Black lawmakers earlier this month. Audio leaked by The Tennessee Holler last week appeared to reveal infighting among Tennessee Republican lawmakers, some of whom complained that they had been labeled racists following the expulsion vote.

☆ Top photos of the week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Dave Lucas | ) www.reuters.com time to read: 1 min

Representative Justin Jones joins in prayer for the victims of the Covenant School shooting ahead the vote for his reinstatement, days after the Republican majority Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members,...moreRepresentative Justin Jones joins in prayer for the victims of the Covenant School shooting ahead the vote for his reinstatement, days after the Republican majority Tennessee House of Representatives voted to expel two Democratic members, representatives Justin Pearson and him, for their roles in a gun control demonstration on the statehouse floor, in the Historic Metro Courthouse in Nashville, Tennessee, April 10, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney OrrClose

☆ Justin Pearson sworn back in to Tennessee House
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/4] Democratic Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson who was ousted from the Tennessee House of Representatives along with another young Black colleague for breaking decorum with a gun control demonstration on the House floor, is sworn in before returning to the state legislature after being reinstated in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 13, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin WurmNASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson was sworn in on Thursday morning after he was reappointed to the legislature from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House of Representatives floor. "We've just been expelled, but we're back," Pearson told the crowd. We're going to keep fighting to end environmental racism and injustice," Pearson told reporters after his reappointment. Tennessee House Republicans, who have a supermajority, have said in a statement they will welcome back any expelled state lawmakers returned by county-level governments, so long as those members follow the legislature's rules.

☆ Justin Pearson due to be sworn back in to Tennessee statehouse
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Omar Younis | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 13 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Pearson is due to be sworn in on Thursday after he was reappointed to the statehouse from which he and another Democratic colleague were expelled for leading a gun protest on the House floor. Pearson on Wednesday was appointed to his vacated seat by the county legislature that includes his Memphis district. Pearson will be sworn in for the third time this year. The state constitution gives local legislative bodies the power to appoint interim state representative to fill vacancies until special elections can be held. Jones and Pearson have said they will run in special elections, for which no date has yet been set.

☆ Memphis-area commissioners vote to reinstate Justin Pearson to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Shelby County Commission voted to reinstate Justin Pearson back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Pearson was removed from the body alongside newly-reinstated state Rep. Justin Jones over a gun reform protest. On Wednesday, the Shelby County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously former state Rep. Justin Pearson of Memphis back to the seat that he last occupied just last Thursday. Pearson, along with state Rep. Justin Jones of Nashville, had been expelled from the legislature for what Republicans said was a breach in decorum in leading an unauthorized gun control push on the House floor. Tennessee Republicans have denied that Pearson and Johnson were removed from the body because of race.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, April 10 (Reuters) - Tennessee state Representative Justin Jones returned to the state House on Monday, pumping his fist and declaring "power to the people" as a Nashville-area council restored him to office following his expulsion over a gun protest. The Metropolitan Council of Nashville and Davidson County voted 36-0 on Monday to make Jones, 27, the interim representative. REUTERS/Cheney Orr 1 2 3 4 5"I want to welcome the people back to the people's house," Jones said in brief remarks upon being reseated. Addressing supporters before the vote, Jones accused the Republicans of operating "plantation politics" and abuse of power. Before the vote, the spokesperson said the House would seat whomever the county legislatures appoint "as the constitution requires."

☆ Nashville officials vote to reinstate Justin Jones to the Tennessee House after he was expelled by Republicans over a gun control protest
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The Metropolitan Council voted to reinstate Justin Jones back to his seat in the Tennessee House. Jones was ousted from the body over gun control protests alongside then-state Rep. Justin Pearson. The Shelby County Commission will meet on Wednesday to potentially reinstate Pearson to his seat. While Republicans voted to oust Jones and Pearson, they spared state Rep. Gloria Johnson of Knoxville, who had also joined her Democratic colleagues on the floor over the gun reform push. The removals of Jones and Pearson prompted an outcry across the country, including the White House.

REUTERS/Karen Pulfer FochtApril 9 (Reuters) - Two Tennessee Democrats who were expelled from the Republican-dominated state House of Representatives last week over their participation in a gun control protest said on Sunday that they hoped to soon reclaim their seats. Metro Council Member Kevin Rhoten said on Twitter that he had been bombarded with emails since Thursday asking him to vote to appoint Justin Jones for the District 52 seat, and that he planned to do that. "I would be honored to accept the appointment of the Shelby County Commission and to run in a special election," Pearson told NBC on Sunday. Videos posted to Twitter showed the two Black lawmakers, Representatives Jones and Pearson, shouting through a bullhorn on the House floor, saying "No action, no peace!" Only two other Tennessee state representatives have been expelled by their colleagues since the Civil War era: one in 1980 for soliciting a bribe in exchange for blocking legislation and another in 2016 after being accused of sexual misconduct by numerous women.

☆ A Tennessee RNC member says vote to expel 2 Democratic lawmakers over a gun control protest hurt the GOP brand: 'You've energized young voters against us'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Republican National Committee member told The Times that ousting 2 Democratic lawmakers "didn't help" the GOP. Tennessee state Reps. Justin Jones and Justin Pearson were removed from their positions by the GOP-led House. Brock argued that the party should have considered arguments from the lawmakers over gun reform. "You've energized young voters against us. Both Jones and Pearson can be reappointed to their seats, but special elections will also have to be set by the governor.

☆ CNN's Van Jones presses a GOP state lawmaker on the Tennessee House voting to expel 2 Black Democratic legislators over their push for gun restrictions: 'Why are you being so unreasonable?'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-09 | by ( John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Van Jones last week pressed a Tennessee Republican over his caucus voting to oust two Democratic lawmakers. "You have not done this to anybody except for two people in 200 years," Jones told state Rep. Jeremy Faison. The GOP-led state House took the action after then-Reps. Jones and Pearson led a gun reform protest from the floor. Faison said he felt as though House Republicans followed the proper protocol. State Rep. Gloria Johnson, a white lawmaker who also joined the gun reform protest, was not expelled by House Republicans and remarked last week that "it's pretty clear" why she was spared.

☆ Tennessee Republicans 'shrugging' after school shooting, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Protesters gather outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Cheney Orr//File PhotoWASHINGTON, April 4 (Reuters) - Republicans in Tennessee who are moving to oust Democratic legislators for joining an anti-gun violence protest are "shrugging in the face" of another school shooting, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday. Republican-majority Tennessee's state legislature took the first steps on Monday to expel Democratic legislators who joined hundreds of young protesters last week following a shooting at a school in Nashville that killed six people, including three children, on March 27. "What they're doing with these three Democratic legislators are shrugging in the face of yet another tragic school shooting while our kids continue to pay the price," Jean-Pierre said. Reporting by Jeff Mason and Trevor Hunnicutt; Writing by Heather Timmons; editing by Grant McCoolOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Republicans in Tennessee 'shrugging' after school shooting, White House says
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

☆ The father of a Parkland shooting victim called Ron DeSantis 'pathetic and 'small-minded' for signing Florida's new concealed carry law. He says the bill 'guarantees' there will be more dead children.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Ron DeSantis quietly removed the need for training or background checks to carry concealed firearms. Guttenberg's 14-year-old daughter, Jaime, was killed in the 2018 Parkland school shooting. Ron DeSantis' new law that allows Floridians to carry concealed firearms without a permit. "Ron DeSantis today put his signature to a bill that guarantees there will be more Jaimes." The permitless concealed carry law DeSantis signed on Monday will take effect from July 1.

☆ A Tennessee legislator facing expulsion from the House for protesting gun violence during a session says other lawmakers have done much worse and weren't immediately punished
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-04 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

One of the lawmakers facing expulsion told Insider that past legislators in the Tennessee House have done much worse than what they did but were not immediately punished for their actions. "It's unprecedented because we have had disruptions bigger than that where no one was even reprimanded," Rep. Gloria Johnson told Insider Tuesday. "I knew we were breaking a House rule, and I know there is a consequence for breaking a House rule," Johnson told Insider. Rep. Justin Pearson, Rep. Justin Jones, Rep. Gloria Johnson People hold their hands up as they exit the House Chamber doors at the Tennessee State Capitol Building, in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. April 3, 2023. "I want to stop the guns before they ever get to the schoolhouse doors," Johnson told Insider.

☆ After school shooting, some trans Tennesseans face backlash
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-31 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

[1/2] Mykul Coscia, who performs drag as Eazy Love at Play, a night club, poses for a portrait after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Even before the shooting, many transgender Tennesseans felt villainized by their state's efforts to regulate the lives of gay and trans people, and were increasingly fearful for their safety. Police identified the Nashville shooter as Audrey Elizabeth Hale, and initially referred to Hale as female. Every time there is a school shooting, Story VanNess said she has sleepless nights: she was a special education teacher in a Knoxville school for several years before becoming the director of trans and non-binary programs at Knox Pride. "We've had another school shooting but, because this shooter was trans, that's taken a back seat so politicians can demonize trans people.

☆ The Heroes of the Nashville School Shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

School buses with children arrive at Woodmont Baptist Church to be reunited with their families after a mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, March 27. Monday’s murder of six people, including three 9-year-olds, by a deranged attacker at a Christian primary school in Nashville is another sign of mental illness unleashed. The heroes in Nashville were the police, who were on the scene quickly. With great discipline and courage, they entered the building, ran toward the shots, and killed the attacker once she was cornered. A timeline posted by the Tennesseean says the attacker entered the elementary school at 10:11 a.m., shooting out the glass doors.

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 30 (Reuters) - Protesters flooded Tennessee's statehouse on Thursday to demand lawmakers stiffen gun laws following a school shooting in Nashville that left six people dead, three of them 9-year-old children. Demonstrators held aloft placards reading "No More Silence" and "We have to do better" while chanting "Do you even care?" In the latest incident, the shooter killed three pupils and three staff members at Nashville's Covenant School. Republican lawmakers in Tennessee this week delayed hearings on gun legislation that would expand access to firearms. [1/5] Counter protesters hold anti-trans signs outside the Tennessee State Capitol to call for an end to gun violence and support stronger gun laws after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 30, 2023.

☆ Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie got in a heated exchange over gun violence in the halls of Congress: 'Calm down? Children are dying!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-30 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Democratic Rep. Jamaal Bowman and GOP Rep. Thomas Massie got in a heated exchange over gun violence. Massie, who once shared a Christmas photo of his family toting guns, told Bowman to "calm down." The Covenant School shooting on Monday reignited debates over gun violence in the halls of Congress. At one point, Massie — who represents Kentucky's 4th district and once shared a Christmas photo of his family toting guns — told Bowman to "calm down." Republican Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee, who represents the district where the Nashville mass school shooting happened, posted a similar gun-filled family photo for Christmas in 2021.

[1/2] A vehicle is towed from the property as community members pray while visiting a memorial at the school entrance after a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S. March 29, 2023. Security experts said the Covenant School apparently had good safety protocols. It was a grim reminder that any campus could be the target of gun violence, spurring educators around the country to review security protocols and try to reassure parents. Protective measures notwithstanding, Corcoran said the Covenant School shooting exposed how deadly such attacks can be even when school leaders "did everything right." It is not clear that hardening school security always works.

☆ Before his gun-filled Christmas message, Rep. Andy Ogles posted a photo of a toddler holding a gun
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

After a mass shooting in his district, critics found Rep. Andy Ogles' gun-filled Christmas picture. Another photo from 2016 has emerged from his Instagram account, showing a toddler holding a gun. Twitter users responded to his message of "thoughts and prayers" for the victims' families by resharing the photo he posted on Facebook of his family holding weapons by a Christmas tree in 2021. Rep. Andy Ogles' 2021 Christmas card and Ogles. Andy Ogles Mayor 2022/Facebook, left, and The Washington Post / Getty ImagesRep. Andy Ogles defended his Christmas message in a brief interview with Sky News after the image was widely criticized by gun control advocates after the shooting.

☆ GOP Sen. Mike Rounds suggests schools should use solar panel funding to beef up security since Congress has 'gone about as far as we're going to with gun control'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Grace Eliza Goodwin | John L. Dorman | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

GOP Sen. Mike Rounds told CNN that Congress has gone "about as far as we're going to with gun control." He suggested that instead of gun reform, schools use funds set aside for solar panels to pay for more security. Three students and three adults were killed in the nation's latest school shooting in Nashville on Monday. "I look at my colleagues up here and there's isn't anybody here that if they find the right approach wouldn't try to do something," Rounds told CNN. Rounds then explained to CNN that instead of gun control, he'd like to take a portion of $500 million funding that's already been designated to build new solar panels at the nation's schools and re-allocate it for schools to beef up their security.

☆ Rep. Andy Ogles defends his gun-filled family Christmas message after Nashville shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Rep. Andy Ogles defended his gun-filled Christmas message after Nashville's school shooting. A reporter for Sky News asked Ogles if he regretted "parading" his family "wielding weapons " on the Christmas message. "Why would I regret taking a family photo with my family and exercising my Constitutional rights?" After the shooting, Ogles posted a statement on Twitter, saying he and his family were "devastated by the tragedy." Asked about the message on NBC's Today show, Nashville Mayor John Cooper said the Ogles' Christmas message isn't "appropriate."

☆ Tennessee governor says his wife, 2 school shooting victims were friends
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-29 | by ( Jonathan Allen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Juliet, held for the victims of a deadly shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, U.S., March 28, 2023. It will take place at a public park in the heart of Nashville, the Tennessee state capital. The governor's wife Maria, substitute teacher Cynthia Peak and the head of the school Katherine Koonce previously taught together at another school, he said. The assailant, Audrey Elizabeth Hale, 28, went to the Covenant School armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun. Monday's violence marked the 90th school shooting – defined as any incident in which a gun is discharged on school property – in the United States this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database, a website founded by researcher David Riedman.

☆ Fact Check-Photos misidentifying the Nashville school shooter circulate on social media
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-28 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SAM HYDE HOAX RECIRCULATESA tweet sharing a photo of a person with a gun said: “BREAKING: Nashville Police have positively identified the corpse of the suspected Nashville Covenant School shooter as 31 year old Samantha Hyde. Social media posts indicate Samantha was a trans woman who previously went by the name Samuel” (here). ARTIST MISIDENTIFIED AS SHOOTERSome posts falsely saying the shooter was identified as “Samantha Hyde” shared photos in these posts (here) and (here). “Apparently I am being confused with the Nashville incident that happened today,” he said in a March 27 TikTok video. Photos of individuals who are not linked to the March 27 Nashville school shooting have been miscaptioned and shared online.

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