April 17, 2017
We are approaching the end of the 2017 legislative cycle. What we have seen, unfortunately again, is other states advancing constitutional carry and the reduction of gun free zones. Instead, we have seen Tennessee's Governor, Legislature and law enforcement pushing hard against the efforts to restore the rights guaranteed by the 2nd Amendment.
So far in 2017, we have seen legislation smashed by voice votes in small committees as Legislative Leaders apparently fear letting these issues be heard and voted on upon the House and Senate Floors. We have seen paid lobbyists for law enforcement fight against removing restrictions on gun owners by claiming that doing so makes it harder for law enforcement to do their jobs....!!!!!
For example, the Tennessean newspaper reported on April 16 that Maggi Duncan, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Chiefs of Police Association views restoring constitutionally protected rights and removing infringements on those core rights is a "loophole"...
"The argument opponents make is also simple: “Are we providing a solution
in search of a problem,” asked Maggi Duncan, executive director of the
Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, who’s testified against the
legislation multiple times. “We don't want to create a loophole that
gang members and criminals can utilize.”"
According to the same Tennessean article, other typical opponents, like Nashville Rep. Mike Stewart would advance tourism dollars over your constitutionally protected rights...
Rep. Mike Stewart,
D-Nashville, says places like Nashville and Memphis have economies that
depend significantly on tourism, an industry that inherently is
predicated on the presumption of safety.He said he understands
that rural communities are vastly different than urban ones in myriad
ways, and reducing penalties on gun possession in a rural community
“isn’t a big deal.” “But here, I’m thinking of a property owner
who’s used his own money to buy property, develop it, open a restaurant,
open a hotel; that property owner needs the right to prohibit people
from coming in with firearms,” he said. He said the proposed legislation would be counterproductive. “It’s an invitation for people to violate the law,” he said.
Then, as the Tennessee Star reports on Monday, April 17, 2017, there is evidence that Legislative Leadership is engaged in its same old oppressive shenanigans by manipulating the committee system and "fiscal notes" to make sure certain bills are never fairly heard in floor votes.
Are you furious yet?
Bill Status Report
Attached is a report on bills that TFA is monitoring as of April 17.
Bill Calendar Report - is being sent by separate email
Several bills are also on calendar to be heard in the Legislature the week of April 17, 2017. A calendar report of these bills is attached.
Please look over this list and contact your legislators and the committee members with comments on these bills. Remember, when contacting legislators, face to face meetings are best. Calls and letters (including faxes) are second best. Least effective is emails - but at least send emails.
You can get the contact information for all legislators (and look up your legislators) at these two links:
Find My Legislator Lookup tool
Senate Directory
House Directory
If you appreciate these reports, please join Tennessee Firearms Association at join.tennesseefirearms.com or, if you are a current member, consider a supplemental member contribution to help cover the costs of collecting and organizing this information.
Yours
John Harris
Executive Director
Tennessee Firearms Association
PS If you want
to help us move to get rid of gun free zones, to enact constitutional
carry, and to push back against an unwilling legislative leadership and an
uncooperative administration, please consider this request to join, renew and support
the Tennessee Firearms Association. Asking for your member support of TFA is a
call to action both financially and, more importantly, a call to
affirmative action of individual engagement in a real battle for the
restoration of our rights.
Other important links
TFA Website: www.tennesseefirearms.com
TFA PAC: www.tfalac.org
Facebook TFA Page: www.facebook.com/Tennfirearms/
Facebook TFA Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TennesseeFirearms/
Twitter: @Tennfirearms
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