'You will see these faces again': Covenant moms, local clergy blast lawmakers

They had hoped to see their Tennessee lawmakers pass meaningful gun safety bills that would protect children, but instead they left disappointed this week.

As the Senate and House ended their first week of a special legislative session in a stubborn standoff over a number of public safety bills, frustrated Covenant School parents and local clergy blasted them for their inaction.

In back-to-back news conferences on Thursday, mothers whose children attend Covenant School and a group of clergy all said they were sad and angry, echoing the sentiment from demonstrators throughout the Capitol.

“We have spent countless hours over the summer meeting with and working alongside these legislators and to see the House and Senate at an impasse is frustrating and upsetting, especially when there are so many good bills on the table,” said Melissa Alexander, whose 9-year-old son was at Covenant during the mass shooting in March.

They urged lawmakers to consider a number of bills passed in committee by House members relating to mental health and upgraded school alarm systems. They pleaded with members of the Senate to reconvene over the weekend to “do the job they’re expected and paid to do.”

But so far, activists have little to show for their efforts.

Lawmakers will return to the Capitol on Monday, but the path forward is unclear, with Senate leadership seeking to pass minimal legislation while House members have pushed more than a dozen bills.

Sarah Shoop Neumann, whose 5-year-old son attends Covenant, said the measures that have progressed are not enough.

“The House has passed rules stifling debate and limiting the rights of parents and other concerned Tennesseans to express themselves, while the Senate stonewalled real progress," she said.

Shoop Neumann said gun lobbyists watched from the galleries as grieving moms fought to have a seat.

Mary Joyce, whose 9-year-old daughter was in a classroom during the March shooting, said her child still suffers from 50% hearing loss in her left ear, which was closer to the door when the gunfire rang out.

The shooting left six people dead, including three third graders.

Joyce said her daughter had more trauma heading back to school for fourth grade this month when she saw the names of her three friends missing from the class list.

“To us we’re still in the thick of it,” Joyce said. “We’re still in the trenches of this trauma.”

Alexander said the moms have now had a crash course in civic engagement. And they have a message for lawmakers:

“We fully understand the importance of primaries,” she said. “You will see these faces again.”

Meanwhile, local clergy held multiple news conferences to sound off on gun violence. A handful of church leaders on Thursday criticized lawmakers’ inaction and cutting off constituents from speaking.

“This session was supposed to be about enacting legislation to protect our children from gun violence,” said the Rev. Rick Roberts of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Donelson. “Instead, it’s been a disappointing display of silencing dissenting voices and even small signs.”

Reach Kelly Puente at kpuente@tennessean.com.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee special session: Covenant moms, clergy blast lawmakers