A news report from the Johnson City Press on May 16, 2022, provides further evidence that Bill Lee and the Tennessee Legislature, under the absolute control of a Republican super majority, should be viewed as complete failures on their sworn oaths to protect our constitutionally protected rights in Tennessee.
As noted in the Johnson City Press article, the simple fact that gun control advocates are “… praising legislators for concluding the two-year session without “advancing a single gun lobby priority” makes it abundantly clear that these gun control advocates view the results of the last two years under the oversight of Governor Bill Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, and Speaker Cameron Sexton as a complete failure for Second Amendment advocates.
The newspaper states
Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action, said in a news release: “We’re thrilled to be celebrating a session with no bad gun bills passed, but we know far more needs to be done to make our state safe from gun violence.”
The Johnson City Press continued to note the exuberance of these gun control groups at the apparent intentional failures of the Republican controlled Tennessee government to remove existing infringements on 2nd Amendment rights and to enact legislation to address other issues like the two “Kyle Rittenhouse” bills that would have tempered over zealous district attorneys who lack respect for the right of self-defense. The paper’s article continues:
McFadyen-Ketchum said Moms Demand Action hopes to build upon this year’s success on Capitol Hill.
“We will take this momentum right back into the fight as we continue to urge lawmakers to prioritize public safety beyond the legislative session,” she said.
…
Gun safety advocates say they lobbied heavily this year to derail passage of a number of harmful gun bills, including HB1735, which would have lowered the age requirement for carrying a concealed, loaded handgun in public from 21 to 18, and HB2554, which would have allowed people with enhanced carry permits to carry firearms in all places at all times with limited exceptions.
The Legislature has adjourned. Bill Lee and incumbent legislators are busy asking for campaign contributions, asking for your vote, kissing babies and “glad handing” their perceived accomplishments as they focus their eyes on the “golden goose” of incumbent re-election. They are no doubt telling you how great they are on the Second Amendment and how conservative they are in protecting your rights. They may continue the mischaracterization of Bill Lee’s hallmark legislation that some of them still call “constitutional carry”.
But the fact is that these Republicans and their predecessors, particularly acting collectively, have had the opportunity repeatedly to enact REAL constitutional carry, to eliminate or reduce the number of gun free zones, to pass criminal immunity in self-defense cases, to remove “handgun only” limits, to erase equal protection violations for some 18-20 year olds … but as a caucus they have consistently refused to do so.
It is clear that the General Assembly’s missed – if not destroyed – opportunities in the last 2 years are just more evidence of the Republican super majority failure to restore our rights -now.
Certainly there are some legislators, both Republican and an occasional Democrat, who truly believe and want to pass substantial advancements to restore our 2nd Amendment rights. Their task is much harder when their peers in the legislature are predominately opposed to doing so. Their task is much harder when Bill Lee’s administration sends taxpayer funded administration employees, like Elizabeth Stroeker to advocate for the continued oppression of your constitutionally protected rights.
The fact is that it is now election season in Tennessee. Your votes, your volunteer efforts, your PAC contributions, your candidate support can make a difference. However, it is critical to realize that many of the legislators who are and who have been a significant problem on Second Amendment issues are identifying themselves as “Republicans” and, sadly, many of them are completely unopposed in their re-election bids. That makes it even more critical to fight across the state on the massive “election chessboard” so that hopefully enough true conservatives get elected in 2022 to change the direction of the Republican caucuses in the House and Senate for the next 2 years.
TFA is presently surveying candidates and will post those results in June. Don’t be surprised, however, if you look at the survey results and see that many of Tennessee’s Republican legislative incumbents failed or refused to respond to the TFA’s survey. Why? They may not want you to know where they stand on these specific issues.
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