Old habits and shenanigans die hard.
Conservatives were promised for years prior to 2010 that if we helped the Republicans seize legislative control from the Democrats that they would remove the infringements on our rights as recognized and protected by the Second Amendment. It is now 2019. Have the promises been honored?
Conservatives and firearms supporters are not seeing strong Second Amendment bills moving forward this year – just as has been the case in the last 9 years. What we see is as much if not more activity to take “two steps back” and create even more confusing, complicated, and undesirable laws.
Now, don’t take that entirely the wrong way. We do have some strong and trusted Second Amendment supporters in the Legislature (notice the omission of another branch of government). The problem is that we do not have enough – that is, enough to fully overcome the Establishment and RINOs who continue to derail and amend into oblivion good bills.
One small, perhaps temporary victory is that Republican Senator Steve Dickerson’s gun confiscation legislation (Senate Bill 1178 – also known as a “Red Flag” law) was procedurally killed in the Senate Judiciary this week by referral to “General Sub.” Although it may be – may be – dead for 2019 it will be back. It is critical that we continue the work to defeat this and similar bills and, more importantly, that we work now to identify candidates to support in 2020 to defeat each and every existing legislator and other elected officials (judges, district attorneys, sheriffs, etc.) who supported this and similar bills!
Another high interest bill is House Bill 409 / Senate Bill 1275 which tries to make important improvements to Tennessee’s civil immunity laws as they apply to self-defense situations. Although the bill was amended in the House Constitutional Protections Subcommittee, the amendment is NOT available (which seems to be the norm) on the state’s website. The bill is set for the House Judiciary committee on April 9 and needs call of support!!! In addition, we anticipate that Representatives William Lamberth, Mike Carter, Bill Sanderson and Mike Curcio may need LETTERS and PHONE CALLS specifically requesting their support (contact information for all legislators below).
House Bill 626 / Senate Bill 590 is one which seeks to impose limits on the ability of citizens and interested parties to file “open records requests” and receive copies of public records or communications. This is a dangerous move since it could materially impair the right of the public to obtain or review government records if the government officials could make a claim that the records requests were “harassment”. This is a dangerous “shield the government” bill and should be stopped. It is set for hearing on April 9 in the House Judiciary. Rep. William Lamberth is the sponsor and he needs to hear phone calls and letters from across the state opposing this bill. The Senate version of the bill is in Senate Judiciary also on April 9 and is carried by Senator Hensley (who needs calls and letters of opposition.)
House Bill 801 / Senate Bill 813 is another bill, like Dickerson’s Gun Confiscation Legislation, that pairs a Republican sponsor with a Democrat sponsor to create a gun control bill that unnecessary and should be stopped. This bill would make it a crime to leave a firearm or ammunition in a boat (perhaps a houseboat) or a motor vehicle (perhaps an SUV, an RV or even a tour bus) in which an individual under the age of 19 is present unless the gun and the ammunition is in a locked container. This is another bad idea that should have never been filed. It is scheduled for a hearing on April 9 in the House Judiciary Committee to stop this bill.
Did you notice that most of the bills that are moving or which are set to be heard are bills that would further weaken or infringe our rights? Are you asking yourselves why this would be happening in a state where the entire state government is supposedly under the unbridled control of Republicans?
Please contact your legislators concerning these bills. It is important that we keep reminding them about the bills which remove infringements on our rights but it perhaps more important that we demand as voters that they put a stop to any proposed legislation the detracts to the smallest degree from our constitutionally protected rights.
Committee compositions, calendars and members are found on the State Website
You can look up your individual legislators on the State’s “Find my Legislator” page.
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