March 16, 2023
Constitutional carry bill HB1005 moves forward in the House and the Senate companion (SB1503) set to be heard the week of March 20, 2023.
This week on March 15 (Gun Owners Lobby Day), House Bill 1005 moved out of the full Civil Justice Committee and is not set for the Finance Committee and shortly after that, hopefully, the House Floor. The bill was filed by Representative Rusty Grills and has been presented in the committees several times by Rep. Chris Todd. As of March 16, other House members who have co-sponsored the bill include Representatives Fritts, Butler, Barrett, Capley, Doggett, Richey, Todd, Bulso, Slater, Hawk, Martin B, most recently Speaker Cameron Sexton. Many TFA members were in the committee hearing room when the bill passed. Later, six of these House members joined TFA volunteers to celebrate during a lunch meeting.
The Senate bill (SB1503) by Sen. John Stevens was set to be heard on March 14 but it was rolled to March 21 to be heard in Senate Judiciary.
Bills to be heard the week of March 20, 2023
Legislative committee calendars for the week of March 20, 2023, indicate that 9 different committees are scheduled to hear bills that being tracked by TFA. Unfortunately, the Senate Judiciary has already killed many bills that would have advanced the 2nd Amendment and your voice now is critical to get their attention (but we believe at least one Senator is sending your emails to a "junk" folder so you need to be making phone calls as well.)
Attached to this email is a calendar report of the bills, the dates and times when they are scheduled to be heard and TFA's preliminary comments. It is important to note that the legislature allows members to add amendments to bills, frequently that entirely rewrite the bill, prior to or even during the committee hearing. This is how some of the worst bills "get moving" because it is very hard to monitor these amendments in time to share them with those who receive this email.
A new feature of this report is that we were able to get the vendor to include "clickable" email addresses for committee members. There is even a clickable "email all" so that you can in one click email all committee members. We asked for it and we hope you use it frequently to "instruct" your elected officials.
It is important that you understand which bills are running and that you contact not only your elected officials but those on these committees and subcommittees about these bills.
Key bills to support and oppose before next week:
Support
HB1005 by Grills / SB1503 by Stevens is the bill that moves TN, if not further amended, that removes the presumption that it is a crime to carry a firearm with the "intent to go armed" anywhere in Tennessee thereby making all of Tennessee a gun free zone and criminalizing otherwise constitutional conduct. It reduces the age for lawful carry, with or without a permit, to 18. It changes the law from a "handgun" to a firearms law. The bill is to be heard in House Finance. The bill is to be heard in Senate Judiciary this week - this is probably the instance that needs the most vocal constituent support of all bills to be heard this coming week.
HB994 by Rep. Keisling / SB908 by Sen. Nicely would alter existing TN law by removing a criminal risk if a property owner brandishes a weapon in an effort to protect real or personal property.
SB822 by Rep. Hensley / HB1189 by Rep. Fritts (already passed in the House) would limit the circumstances under which lawsuits could be filed against firearms manufacturers and dealers. The left has used this tactic in other states to put firearms manufacturers/dealers in jeopardy and/or to bankrupt them.
SB659 by Sen. Lowe / HB37 by Rep. T. Warner would remove certain existing exclusions from Tennessee's Firearms Freedom Act and would thereby strengthen the protections against federal abuses in Tennessee.
HJR by Rep. Garrett would state that it is the declared public policy of the state to maximize the right of citizens to keep and bear arms.
Oppose
HB1233 by Rep. Hemmer / SB1029 by Sen. Yarbrough would violate the Supreme Court's holding in Bruen by attempting to impose regulations on how individuals store firearms which regulations did not exist and had no clear analog in 1791.
It is critical that 2nd Amendment advocates, advocates for constitutional rights, "let them feel the heat" and President Reagan taught. To many of our elected legislators are coddling up to the administrations' taxpayer funded mouthpieces, like Elizabeth Stroecker from the Department of Safety, Commissioner David Rausch who heads up the TBI, and Commissioner Jeff Long from the Department of Safety all of who are being paid by your tax dollars to testify in these hearings and in private meetings with Legislators about why Bill Lee's administration continues to oppose the removal of 2nd Amendment infringements in Tennessee. |
