Media Advisory

By Chris Baxley | November 14, 2023 

Although I am a veteran, I have never made a big deal of Veterans Day. I certainly appreciate the kind words and hold in high regard all who’ve served.

This year, however, I am humbly asking for my fellow Tennesseans’ support in defending and protecting our children.

On March 27, the youngest two of our three children came home from school very anxious. They were on lockdown most of the day and knew something had happened. We explained that a shooter broke into Covenant, a nearby school, and murdered three children and three adults. Our then-second-grade son listened and darted off to his room to process the news. Our then-third-grade daughter stood like a statue in our kitchen. After what felt like forever, she asked: “Do I know them?”

Two of my daughter’s friends were killed at the Covenant School

I still tear up thinking about the moment we explained that two of her friends, Hallie Scruggs and Evelyn Dieckhaus, were killed along with another student, William Kinney, and three staff members. Her eyes conveyed her disbelief and grief, but she couldn’t say anything.

Continue reading at The Tennessean: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2023/11/14/opinion-im-a-veteran-working-to-save-children-from-gun-violence/71535984007/

Chris Baxley, an Army veteran who most recently served as captain, is vice president of Health System Strategy and Partnerships at Radiology Partners

Veterans stand with a constitutional oath to protect the public, rights including the Second Amendment, and gun safety.

By Michael Bass and Prentiss Nelson | November 13, 2023

As veterans of the United States Marine Corps, we each took an oath when we joined our service to protect and defend our country and the Constitution that governs it.

Ultimately, we committed ourselves to protecting our fellow Americans – our neighbors, family and communities. Though our active-duty service is over, we – and so many other fellow veterans – still carry this oath and commitment with us.

We did not put our service to our country and the Constitution down when we transitioned to civilian life.

This year for Veterans Day observances, when our nation honors those who served in the military, we are asking you to reflect on the oath we took and consider your role, as civilians, in helping us uphold it. Because right now in Tennessee, the safety of our people is being challenged.

 “I do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic….”

… We are veterans who support and defend the Constitution – including the Second Amendment.  We are also parents and community members who are living with heightened concern for where the next tragedy will occur. Dropping our children off at school or going to a football game should not be anxiety-ridden for our family members, and yet they are. Whether you live in a city or in a rural community, nobody is immune to the threat and concern of gun violence or gun-related tragedies.

We must find balance. We must protect the Second Amendment, but mightily defend life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness for our people. And we can. Safety and responsibility is the right place to start.

Continue reading at The Tennessean: https://www.tennessean.com/story/opinion/contributors/2023/11/13/second-amendment-support-our-rights-liberty-and-public-safety/71519611007/

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Michael Bass is a native Tennessean and Nashville healthcare executive. After participating in the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps as an undergraduate at Vanderbilt, he served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps with combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. He returned to Nashville to receive an MBA from the Owen Graduate School of Management School and is an active member of the veteran and healthcare community here.

Prentiss Nelson is a fifth generation Tennessean and Nashville businessman. Prentiss graduated from the United State Naval Academy and served as a captain in the United States Marine Corps with multiple combat deployments to the Middle East.

This Labor Day, take time to recharge after an emotional week.

Dear friends, 

I often make the analogy that advocacy is like a marathon. It requires preparation and training, a steady pace, a passionate spirit and a commitment to being in it for the long haul. It comes with challenges to be overcome and requires a healthy dose of self-care. Like a marathon, the rewards that come with crossing the finish line make the journey more than worth it. 

This special session marked an emotional first leg of the marathon. As the week comes to a close and we approach the Labor Day holiday, we encourage each of you to take some time to rest, relax and recharge. We have much more work to do to reach the finish line, and it will require all of us to take care of ourselves and each other in the process. 

As you recharge, please know of our continued appreciation for each and every one of you. THANK YOU! The willingness of so many of our coalition members across the state to step up and use their voices in support of firearm safety is not only deeply appreciated, but also invaluable to our efforts. 

Here’s a quick snapshot of what we achieved together over the past two weeks: 

• Members of our coalition that is more than 20,000 strong and representative of all 95 counties contacted state lawmakers asking them to take action on firearm safety.
• Nearly 400 volunteers from 20 counties showed up at the Capitol and Cordell Hull, serving as a physical reminder that the majority of Tennesseans want and expect change. 
• We successfully met (and exceeded) matching challenge gifts from Sen. Bill and Tracy Frist and Barbara Hyde to raise more than $300,000 from over 700 people in just 10 days. 
• We advocated for the passage of three bills that served as small, first steps toward increased firearm safety and set the stage for deeper conversations leading into the 2024 legislative session this January. 

The effort to create a safer Tennessee will continue to take all of us. We are so inspired to be running this “marathon” alongside each of you. 

Happy Labor Day, and thank you for being a strong voice for a Safer TN. 

Sincerely, 

Nicole Smith

Voices for a Safer Tennessee, Board President

P.S. We’d love to hear directly from you about the ways you used your voice and took action during the special session. Please share your stories and photos here.

Today, both the House and Senate adjourned “sine die,” marking the end of an emotional special session on public safety

Dear Safer TN Coalition,

Today, both the House and Senate adjourned “sine die,” marking the end of an emotional special session on public safety. What started with 100+ bills filed, concluded with a near stalemate between the House and the Senate. Small steps were made toward firearm safety with three bills passed by both chambers, all of which Voices for a Safer Tennessee supported. (See bill recap below.)

It is understandable that this chaotic and abrupt end to the special session has left many Tennesseans feeling frustrated. Your frustration is warranted, and we share in it. Much more needs to be done to make communities across our state safer, and we are channeling our frustration into continuing the work.

While the special session did not substantively address firearm violence in our state, there were small steps taken toward our core policy priorities: temporary transfer laws, stronger firearm storage laws and consistent background check requirements. These small steps have opened the door for important discussions that will continue into the 2024 legislative session and beyond.

We reflect on the last several months with great appreciation for all the ways Voices for a Safer Tennessee coalition members have shown up and engaged in the legislative process. THANK YOU! From thoughtfully contacting your legislators asking for action to respectfully sitting in committee meetings and hearings, our nonpartisan approach has built strong momentum. Together, we’ve grown our membership to more than 20,000 Tennesseans from all 95 counties, and raised more than $300,000 from over 700 donors in the last week alone. Our approach is resonating, and it will take us forward from a position of strength.

So what’s next? As we gear up for the 2024 legislative session, we must continue to keep the need for firearm safety legislation top of mind for our policymakers, as well as with our friends, family and neighbors. So we will continue the conversations, doing the research, and be ready to educate and take action when session is back in January. Additionally, our board of directors will be hard at work finalizing a long-term strategic plan that will guide the organization’s continued work and advocacy into the future. We will share more about our planning and how you can continue to be involved along the way.

Thank you for joining the chorus of voices committed to creating a safer Tennessee. It will take all of us to make the bipartisan change that the majority of Tennesseans want and expect a reality. 

Sincerely,

Todd Cruse 
Voices for a Safer Tennessee
Board Chair and Treasurer

Bill Recap

The following bills that Safer TN supported passed both the House and the Senate and will be presented to Governor Bill Lee to sign into law. 

HB7012/SB7085 – provides free firearm locks to TN residents upon request, establishes a PSA campaign for secure storage, incorporates secure storage into firearm safety courses, and makes gun safes tax free.

HB7013/SB7086 – shortens the timeframe in which the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation must be notified of an individual’s final disposition by a court from 30 days to 72 hours.

SB 7089/ HB 7070 – an appropriations bill that will provide the following noteworthy investments:

• $1.1 million in funding for a gun safety advertisement campaign (funds the PSA campaign established through HB7012/SB7085)
• $12 million for mental health professional bonuses
• $4 million to increase behaviorial health safety net grants
• $50 million non-recurring to mental health agencies that contract with the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse
• $30 million non-recurring for safety upgrades for institutions of higher education

Tennessee’s legislators may have adjourned the special session, but the work for firearm safety legislation has only just begun.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (August 29, 2023) — Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN), a nonpartisan organization dedicated to prioritizing firearm safety and promoting responsible firearm ownership through bipartisan legislation, issued the following statement regarding the adjournment of the special session on public safety: 

Tennessee’s legislators may have gone home today, but we will continue to advocate for firearm safety legislation in the days, weeks, months and years ahead.

Small steps were made toward firearm safety with the three bills that passed in both chambers – all of which Voices for a Safer Tennessee supported. While we acknowledge these small steps forward, they only begin to scratch the surface of what is needed to meaningfully strengthen firearm safety in Tennessee. Much more needs to be done to make communities across our state safer.

Safer TN fundamentally believes that there is common ground, in all 95 counties, around temporary transfer laws, stronger firearms storage, and consistent background checks. Looking forward to the 2024 legislative session, we call on our legislators to hear their constituents’ support for these solutions and to act on them. Our more than 20,000 members will join with the voices of so many others to do the same. 

Since our founding in the days following the Covenant School shooting, Safer TN has believed that we will make change through discussion, common ground and shared solutions. So we will continue the conversations, doing the research, educating and engaging one another until substantive progress is made in protecting our communities from firearm violence.

About Voices for a Safer Tennessee
Voices for a Safer Tennessee (Safer TN) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan coalition dedicated to prioritizing common-sense firearm safety laws and promoting responsible firearm ownership to make communities across our state safer. Safer TN was founded by neighbors, friends, colleagues and community members who came together with a shared desire for change following the tragic events of March 27, 2023, at The Covenant School in Nashville, Tenn. The organization brings voters and lawmakers together by leading conversations, sharing diverse perspectives and finding commonality to champion the bipartisan change that the majority of Tennessee voters support. Learn more at safertn.org.