It seems with approximately 60 bills related to the issues that Tennessee Firearms Association tracks having activity since the first of the year, that it is going to be a busy and fast session. We are seeing bills now that are starting to move through the committees and we are starting to see suggestions of potentially significant amendments being referenced although the details remain concealed on Mount Olympus. The time to take action and let your voices be heard is upon us!
Scheduled 2nd Amendment Rally in Nashville!
The Tennessee Firearms Association is coordinating with Gun Owners of America and that National Association for Gun Rights to demand that the Tennessee Legislature pass and that Governor Lee sign into law legislation that would make Tennessee the 18th state to remove state imposed infringements on Tennesseans by adopting full constitutional carry with an optional permit in Tennessee this year.
In support of that goal, TFA, GOA and NAGR are jointly announcing a 2nd Amendment Rally at the Tennessee Legislature on Tuesday, March 10, 2020. Although final details on the rally are still being addressed, it is anticipated that the rally will start between 8 and 9am that morning with those in attendance being addressed by representatives of GOA, NAGR and TFA as well as hopefully some of the Legislature’s bill sponsors for this year. After the initial rally, attendees are expected and encouraged to go to the Legislature’s Cordell Hull offices to participate in any scheduled committee hearings as well as to circulate through the legislature to visit with their individual elected officials to impress on them the necessity of adopting constitutional carry in the spirit of the constitutional mandate that our rights “shall not be infringed”.
Attendees will need to contact their individual legislators and try to make appointments for that day. Attendees can identify their individual legislators using the state “Find My Legislator” tool.
Since details are still evolving, it is important to watch for future announcements in these emails as well as on Facebook and other social media outlets.
Bills are moving and amendments are being considered
We expect this to be a short legislative session because it is an election year. We are also expecting, because of the curious content of so many of the filed bills that there will be numerous last minute amendments that could materially change what a pending bill would do. For example, House Majority Leader William Lamberth announced this week that he plans to amend a bill that he is sponsoring (HB2027) in order to eliminate all state fees on handgun permits. It is not clear how the anticipated amendment would address this issue but it seems that eliminating the fee would still leave the burdens of making application, being fingerprinted at a secondary location, undergoing and paying for a state approved training course by private instructors, and potentially waiting many, many hours at a Department of Safety location just to apply. We expect to see the amendment, hopefully before it is filed, and to have it heard in perhaps the next 1-3 weeks.
Legislative Report and Calendar
In reviewing the materials as of Friday, February 21, TFA has identified and generated its status reports on the bills that have had activity during the week of February 21, 2020 and the bills that have been scheduled for hearings during the week of February 24, 2020. Those reports are available at the bottom of this page.
It is important to note that some of the bills which are set to be heard are flagged for “amendment” or “opposition”. When that occurs, comments are included as to why that status has been selected. It is important that each of you take a few minutes to either call or write a letter (not an email) to your individual legislators to let them know why you support or oppose the legislation. It is critical that you call your own legislators because frequently the legislators will only take your call or respond if you are one of their constituents. Impress on them, if they are not the bill sponsor, that you want the to speak with the bill sponsor and the committee members about your concerns or support. Attendees can identify their individual legislators using the state “Find My Legislator” tool.
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