Tennessee leaders focus on gun violence prevention at White House gathering of state lawmakers

Sen. Akbari, Sen. Lamar will bring ideas to legislative session

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senate minority leader Sen. Raumesh Akbari, D-Memphis, and Senate Democratic caucus Chairwoman Sen. London Lamar, D-Memphis, joined state legislators from across the country on Wednesday at a White House convening on gun violence prevention.

House minority leader Rep. Karen Camper, D-Memphis; Rep. Yusef Hakeem, D-Chattanooga; Rep. Gloria Johnson, D-Knoxville; Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville; Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville; Rep. Justin J. Pearson, D-Memphis; and Rep. Johnny Shaw, D-Bolivar, also attended the training hosted by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.

The White House described the event as the largest convening of state legislators on gun violence prevention in the history of the United States.

Gun violence prevention is especially important to Tennessee Democrats whose efforts to enact evidence-based gun safety reforms have been stymied by Republicans.

Instead, for more than a decade, Republican lawmakers in Tennessee have repealed gun safety rules and abolished restrictions on carrying firearms in public.

Now today, Tennessee has one of the worst gun violence crises in the nation and gunshot wounds are the leading cause of death for children in the state.

Leader Raumesh Akbari

“Our goal is to save lives by enacting common sense policies that stop gun violence and reduce violent crime rates,” said Sen. Akbari who led a breakout session during the event. “In my hometown of Memphis, we have an urgent need to get illegal guns off the streets and there are great ideas from this convening that we will bring back to Tennessee to accomplish that goal.”

Chairwoman London Lamar

“Whether they’re at home, school, work or church, Tennesseans just want to feel safe from gun violence. To make that a reality we have to break the cycles of violence terrorizing our communities and restore some common sense to our gun safety laws. The White House convening on gun violence prevention was all about equipping state legislators with policy tools to stop shootings before they happen and I am looking forward to introducing legislation to get illegal guns off our street and address the root causes of crime.”

In September 2023, President Biden established the first-ever White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, overseen by Vice President Kamala Harris. President Biden tasked the office with four key responsibilities, including enhancing the federal government’s partnerships with cities and states to help them advance their own efforts to reduce gun violence.

Nearly 100 lawmakers met with Vice President Kamala Harris and members of President Biden’s first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention. Vice President Harris briefed the lawmakers on the Biden Administration’s new “Safer States Initiative” designed to combat gun violence at the state level.

During the event, legislators heard from senior White House officials and state leaders who are working on evidence-based solutions for reducing gun violence. They also participated in breakout meetings with small groups of state legislators to discuss policies and strategies to pursue in upcoming legislative sessions.

To kick off the initiative, the White House is releasing the Biden-Harris Safer States Agenda, outlining key actions states should take, including:

• Establishing a State Office of Gun Violence Prevention
• Investing in evidence-informed solutions to prevent and respond to gun violence
• Strengthening support for survivors and victims of gun violence
• Reinforcing responsible gun ownership
• Strengthening gun background checks
• Holding the gun industry accountable

To help states advance this agenda, the Justice Department is announcing two new executive actions to reduce gun violence.

• Safe Storage Model Legislation. The Department of Justice’s model legislation details how states can require the safe storage of firearms, including in vehicles, and hold individuals liable for harm caused by unsecured firearms.
• Lost and Stolen Firearms Reporting Model Legislation. The Department of Justice’s model legislation provides states with a framework for requiring that a person promptly report the loss or theft to law enforcement.

In the months ahead, the White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention will continue to proactively work with states to make sure they have additional resources and support needed to advance these agenda items.