June 14, 2023
New Tennessee survey reflects most voters disagree with Bill Lee's proposed Red Flag law.
A recent survey of Tennessee voters shows that once Tennesseans are told the truth about what Governor Bill Lee's proposed "Red Flag" (also rebranded by some as a "temporary mental health order of protection") actual does and does not do the voters' support of a Red Flag law drops substantially. The summary of the survey results demonstrate that most Tennesseans - once they are told some actual facts about Bill Lee's proposal - realize it is not a solution that makes them or their families safer. The summary states: An overwhelming majority of Tennessee voters want threatening individuals removed from the community rather than just taking their guns with Red Flag Laws
Key Points
84% of voters say a dangerous individual should be removed from the community rather than taking their guns and leaving the individual in the community Support for Red Flag Laws drops 21% when voters are informed this leaves threatening individuals in the community, failing to prevent harm by some other means Two-thirds of voters say current laws should be enforced to take dangerous people out of the community rather than passing new ones that would leave them in the neighborhood
The survey results also supported this conclusion of how Tennesseans view the problem and the solution:
[The] statewide survey affirms that most Tennessee voters believe the increase in school shootings over the last three decades is due to moral decline, family instability, and risky behavior – not gun ownership. That's why an overwhelming majority of Tennessee voters want threatening individuals removed from the home rather than enact proposed Red Flag Laws that allow for the confiscation of firearms but leave dangerous individuals in the community.
The survey also supported this finding:
In the poll, Tennessee voters dramatically retreat from their soft support of proposed Red Flag Laws and do not see this as the solution to their safety concerns when informed that Red Flag Laws merely take guns away from dangerous individuals but do nothing to prevent them from causing harm by some other means. Red Flag Law support erodes even further when informed that there are existing laws to take threatening individuals out of the community right now. Tennesseans largely support recently passed legislation that puts police officers in schools and believe enforcing the current laws on the books is an effective solution to keeping their families, communities, and state safe. (emphasis added)
The evidence from the survey was clear that once the voters realized that Bill Lee's proposed Red Flag law does not make their families safer because it leaves the dangerous person in the community and able to still cause harm, the already "soft" support for his proposal drops significantly.
Prior to an informed ballot, voters show initial support for Red Flag Laws, with 62% in favor of
the measure, including 57% of Republicans. However, support rapidly drops by 21 points, a full 1/3, after voters are informed that such laws leave dangerous people in the community and violate due process rights, with 49% reporting being less likely to support the measure, including 1-in-3 Democrats.
Amazingly, even voters who identify as Democrats were withdrawing from Bill Lee's gun control proposal when the facts were shown that Bill Lee wants to leave the dangerous individual loose in the community.
You can see the full survey response here.
Your involvement is critical to help stop Bill Lee's Red Flag legislation.You can take action now and help the TFALAC raise the funds need to support the #RedFlagDown mission to produce radio spots, social media campaigns, and other "get out the word" measures to stop Bill Lee's Special Session and gun control agenda.
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