A Tennessee GOP lawmaker ordered the removal of public citizens from a hearing focused on potential gun control measures following the deadly Nashville school shooting.
Families close to the horrific incident were seen breaking down in tears after the Republican lawmaker's order to state troopers. They were removed along with others from a legislative hearing room while waiting to testify in favor of gun control measures.
Tennessee Republican Orders Removal of Public from Hearing
The scene was only one of many chaotic moments during the second day of the state's special legislative session. Initially, Republican Gov. Bill Lee called lawmakers back to the Capitol to consider his proposal that aims to keep firearms away from people who are considered dangerous.
Sarah Shoop Neumann, who was seen sobbing and shaking following the decision to remove them, said she was supposed to speak and testify about the deadly school shooting in Nashville. She was removed from the room despite sitting quietly and was not holding any signs, as per the Associated Press.
Neumann was the parent of a child who attends The Covenant School, and she is among the family members who are desperately trying to address the state's relaxed gun laws. The Nashville school shooting killed three children and three adults after a shooter opened fire inside the educational institution.
She was later allowed to go back and testify against a bill that would have allowed more teachers to carry firearms to school in an attempt to let them protect themselves and their students. The House subcommittee advanced that particular bill, but its odds in the Senate are not positive.
During an interview, Neumann said they were trying to do something, adding that the situation has become "overwhelming." However, Lee's bill has been all but struck down by the Republican supermajority as leaders have refused to consider the issue.
Debate on Gun Control Measures
Three variations of similar proposals for so-called extreme risk protection orders (ERPOs), without any debate, immediately failed on Tuesday in the same House subcommittee the public was ordered to be removed, according to Yahoo News.
Democratic Rep. Bob Freeman of Nashville carried out the ERPOs in response to the deadly school shooting. On the other hand, House Republicans advanced a new set of procedural rules on Monday, the first day of the special session.
These carried harsh penalties for lawmakers who were found to be too disruptive or distracting, and they also prohibited visitors from carrying signs into the Capitol building and in legislative hearing rooms.
Furthermore, the Senate and House signed off on severely restricting the public from accessing the galleries where people are typically allowed to watch their government working on cases.
The situation comes as deeply divided Tennessee lawmakers are not expected to address gun control during this session. A Republican senator made a pass at ending the special session before any bills were even officially taken up. This was a move that would normally have been considered unheard of during regular sessions, said Fox News.
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