Lawmakers' Shameful Behavior, Lack of Action Prove That Change is Needed

After the Tennessee General Assembly's special session on public safety adjourned sine die this morning, the Tennessee AFL-CIO Labor Council issued the following statement.

"What Tennesseans witnessed over the past several days was an absolute disgrace. Instead of passing bipartisan, common sense gun safety measures in the wake of the mass shooting at The Covenant School in March, the supermajority caved to its most extreme factions, engaged in partisan bickering, and passed almost no legislation to address the serious and deadly issue of gun violence that's plaguing our state. Not only were voters essentially silenced from making their voices heard but new and extreme rules were enacted in an attempt to keep lawmakers 'in line.' We all saw firsthand how close Democracy in our state came to crumbling during the special session, and we can't allow that to happen.

Elections have consequences, and it's clear that the current balance of power in the Tennessee General Assembly is not sustainable. In just over 14 months, Tennesseans will head to the polls to choose who they want to send to Nashville to represent their interests. We are confident that voters will remember what happened over the past week-and-a-half and will hold lawmakers accountable for their inaction."