Top Story
The fallout from the shooting at the Covenant School revealed deep political divisions in Tennessee’s capital. The rancor signals that the era of “Nashville nice” may have come to an end. [The New York Times]
From Our Team
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis quietly signed a permitless carry bill into law yesterday, meaning that eligible adults in the Sunshine State will be able to carry concealed firearms without training or a license when the legislation goes into effect in July. With DeSantis’ signature, permitless carry is now the law in more than half the country — a dramatic shift from two decades ago, when only Alaska and Vermont allowed the practice. The Trace’s Chip Brownlee breaks down the state of permitless carry nationwide. Read more from The Trace →
What to Know Today
It’s Election Day in Chicago. Voters will determine whether Brandon Johnson or Paul Vallas should land the city’s top job — and, in doing so, dictate the city’s approach to public safety for the next four years. How members of the city’s Latino communities vote could be the deciding factor of the race. [WBEZ]
Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas said school shootings are “very difficult to build a pattern behind” and “not like criminal activity, which you can target and prevent through law enforcement” during an interview on last week’s school shooting in Nashville. Crenshaw called for armed security in all American schools, an unproven prevention strategy. [CNN]
Oregon lawmakers are considering legislation that would instate many of the gun restrictions included in Ballot Measure 114, which passed in the November midterms but has been blocked in court since December. [OPB]
The new 988 suicide and crisis hotline has seen in an enormous uptick in use since it launched last July. The revamped line started with a temporary infusion of federal cash — but now, state and local governments are tasked with figuring out how to continue paying for it. [Stateline]
The race for an open seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has grabbed headlines for its national implications for abortion rights and democracy. But the outcome of today’s election will influence the future of gun laws and other Republican priorities, too. [Wisconsin Public Radio]
Hawaii may soon join the ranks of states where residents can sue gunmakers for harm caused by their products. [Honolulu Civil Beat]
Why is the U.S. Attorney’s Office for D.C. declining to prosecute about two-thirds of people arrested? [The Washington Post]
Data Point
404,194 — the number of calls, chats, and texts to the 988 lifeline in February 2023. That’s up more than 160,000 from the prior year. [Stateline]
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