‘It is painful and disrespectful’: Covenant families want more from special session
By Courtney Allen
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NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WSMV) — With week one of the legislative special session on public safety wrapped up, WSMV4 wanted to know how The Covenant School families feel about how it is going.
After all, the session was called in response to the shooting at their children’s school that left six dead.
Covenant School families have been at the Capitol every day this week to remind lawmakers of the trauma their children still have.
“She saw the shooter,” Covenant School mom Mary Joyce said. “She did see the gun in her classroom. She knows what it feels like to be shot at.”
Joyce’s 9-year-old daughter was on the second floor of The Covenant School the day of the shooting, a day that still haunts her.
“She is still there,” Joyce said. “She is physically here, but there are pieces of my child that are missing, and that is what we are rebuilding.”
Joyce and fellow mom Sarah Shoop Neumann testified in committees at the Capitol this week. We asked them how they thought the special session was going.
“Circus, chaotic, but also victorious,” Joyce said.
Victories for them include the House passing a bill banning the public release of children’s autopsies and a bill to improve schools’ alarm systems.
However, there are other emotions too.
“It is painful, disrespectful, and it is just really hurtful,” Neumann said.
Neumann said it is hurtful that the House and Senate don’t agree on most of the legislation filed. Joyce said she got a call from a Republican Friday.
“I had a Senator reach out to me this morning and apologize because he is also frustrated and wants to see something happen,” Joyce said.
When lawmakers return next week, Joyce and Neumann hope they will reconsider some of the bills tabled that they believe would better protect their children.
“[The biggest challenge is] convincing these men and women who are elected officials to put aside the political game they are used to playing and remember who punted the ball for them for this special session, and it is us,” Joyce said. “They have a job to do.”
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