Tennessee's GOP governor signs executive order tightening firearm background checks

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, signed an executive order Tuesday to tighten the background check process in the state, citing recent "recent tragedies" like the Nashville shooting that left three children and three adults dead at a private religious school. 

The executive order requires responsible parties to ensure that all criminal history and court mental health information is entered into the Tennessee Instant Check System or provided to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation within 72 hours. The executive order also directs those entities to determine how the process for submitting such information can be improved, and report to the governor's office and state legislature within 60 days. 

Lee's executive order said that "recent tragedies in Nashville and throughout our nation have demonstrated the devastating impact of firearms possession by those intending to cause harm to themselves or others and underscore the need for more effective instant background checks" and "effective instant background checks rely on information that is accurate, complete, and submitted in a timely manner."