FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/30/2023:
NASHVILLE—State Rep. Caleb Hemmer (D-Nashville) has announced that he will be donating his legislative per diem from the recently adjourned Special Session on Public Safety to two local non-profit organizations.
“I cannot in any good conscience accept a salary for a week of unproductive disputes, wasted resources, and not a single bill that effectively addresses our community’s need for sensible gun reform,” said Hemmer.
The Nashville Democrat will donate his total per diem for the six days of session to two local organizations. Voices for a Safer Tennessee and Rise and Shine TN received $250 each. Hemmer says these groups worked tirelessly this past week and a half advocating for common sense gun safety measures, but the legislature failed to fulfill its responsibilities to the public.
“I’m extremely disappointed and frustrated with the lack of action at the Legislature. My Democratic colleagues and I returned to the Capitol with the goal of fighting for Emergency Risk Protection Orders, truly significant investments in access to mental healthcare, and strong legislation that would address Tennessee’s problems with secure storage and gun theft but instead we gaveled out without passing anything substantive.”
Rep. Hemmer says he will remain fully committed to fighting during the Legislative session in January for the meaningful change we need to keep our communities and children safe. He is currently working on several pieces of legislation, including a strong secure storage bill.
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Voices for a Safer Tennessee is a nonpartisan coalition dedicated to prioritizing gun safety and advocating for common sense gun laws to make communities across our state safer. Learn more at www.safertn.org.
Rise and Shine TN is a nonprofit, volunteer organization dedicated to building a culture of civic engagement so every Tennessean can be safe, live free, and have a chance to thrive. Learn more at https://www.riseandshinetn.org/
