Post-Covenant gun reform group donates over $55k to Tenn. lawmakers

By Adam Friedman

Tennessee Lookout

The gun-reform group Voices for a Safer Tennessee donated about $60,000 to state lawmakers ahead of this year’s election, with around 80% of the money going to Republicans.

The group, which formed in the wake of the March 2023 mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville that left six dead, including three children, pushed state lawmakers last year to pass a law allowing judges to remove guns from those deemed dangerous.

Orders of protection related to guns are often called “red flag laws.” But Republicans, like Gov. Bill Lee, avoided using the term when proposing the plan due to a negative stigma in conservative circles.

Republican lawmakers refused to discuss the red flag legislation proposed by Lee on two separate occasions, including immediately following the shooting and again during a special session in August.

Voices for a Safer Tennessee is a 501(c)(4) political advocacy group and a political action committee, allowing it to shield the names of donors. A 501(c)(4) group is often called a dark money organization because federal and state campaign finance laws allow it to hide any donations it wants. The 501(c)4 made a $100,000 donation to its political action committee in January.

The group does list its board members and officers online . The most prominent member is former U.S. Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, who has a net worth of over $20 billion from his stock in the Nashville-based hospital chain HCA Healthcare, which was founded by his father, and other investments. Frist is on the group’s advisory board.

The board chair is former staffer for Republican Gov. Don Sundquist and the group’s policy director previously worked in Frist’s Senate office.

The group gave a combined $35,000 to the political action committees for Republicans in leadership, including House Speaker Cameron Sexton of Crossville, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge, House Majority Leader William Lamberth of Portland, and Senate Caucus Chair Ken Yager, all Republicans. Lawmakers don’t necessarily use committee money for themselves, but distribute it to other Republican candidates in vulnerable primaries or general election contests.

During the 2022 election cycle, McNally spent significant money helping Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson of Franklin defend his seat.

Voice for a Safer Tennessee gave $5,000 to political action committees for House Minority Leader Karen Camper and Senate Minority Leader Raumesh Akbari, both Memphis Democrats.

The group also gave money to Democratic Sens. Heidi Campbell of Nashville ($1,000) and London Lamer of Memphis ($1,000); Nashville Democratic Reps. Caleb Hemmer ($1,000) and Bob Freeman ($2,500); and Republican state Reps. Andrew Farmer of Sevierville (2,500), Mark White of Memphis ($2,500) and John Gillespie of Memphis ($2,500).

Campbell told the Lookout despite Voices for Safer Tennessee reporting a donation to her, she “never received it,” adding the group attempted to give her a check Thursday after reports surfaced they gave money to Republican leadership.

Voices for a Safer Tennessee calls itself  “a nonpartisan, state-wide coalition dedicated to prioritizing firearm safety and advocating for pragmatic firearm laws.”

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