Following the United States Supreme Court’s June 2022 decision in New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen in which it struck down a New York handgun permit law as violating the Second Amendment, some may have thought that finally Tennessee would eradicate 2nd Amendment and civil rights infringements on the rights of the people to keep and bear arms. That is what should have happened. But by paying close attention to Governor Lee’s administration over the last 4 years and the conduct of the majority of Republicans (not to mention almost all Democrats) in the Legislature, that would have been a very stupid bet to take.
Certainly, there are several state Legislators who have been and are continuing to repeal all of the existing statutory and regulatory infringements prohibited by the Second Amendment. Indeed, there are several legislators who in the past have been ardent conspirators in the oppression of 2nd Amendment rights but who are at least talking post-Bruen about the need to repeal these infringements.
But there are too many in the Legislature like Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and others who are clearly standing as a continual roadblock to efforts to bring Tennessee in conformity with the Second and Fourteenth Amendments. The efforts of those legislators who would continue to deny your rights, are fully supported by Bill Lee’s administration as well as representatives of the Tennessee Sheriffs Association, the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police, and a gun control advocacy group commonly known as Moms Demand Action.
A representative for Bill Lee, Elizabeth Stroecker, who is a taxpayer funded attorney the Legislative and Policy Director for the Tennessee Department of Safety, frequently injects herself as a witness in committee hearings (and presumably in meetings with individual legislators) to tell the legislative policy makers that the administration opposes almost all efforts to remove infringements. The problem has become so oppressive that Rep. Chris Todd asked her on February 21, 2023, what constitutional or statutory authority she had to come into the committee hearings to oppose the policy consideration of bills.
On February 21, 2023, Rep. Rusty Grills challenged Col. Matt Perry from the Tennessee Department of Safety who appeared in the committee to oppose the determination by the Legislature of whether the constitution now requires that citizens be allowed to carry longarms. Rep. Grills was clearly concerned that the administration representatives were opposing the right of citizens to carry a longarm, such as an AR15, when it is already allowed in Tennessee for people to carry the AR pistols. Col. Perry asserted in response that he did not think individuals should be able to carry either one.
On March 8, 2023, Commissioner David Raush of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, accompanied by Commissioner Jeff Long from the Tennessee Department of Safety to oppose Rep. Grill’s HB1005 that would allow 18 and up to get permits and which would change the handgun permits to firearms permits. In a lengthy discussion with Rep. Gino Bulso, these taxpayer funded administration officials argued that Bill Lee’s administration continues to oppose the idea that the 2nd Amendment applies equally to handguns and longarms.
One conclusion painfully clear from the video testimony of representatives from Bill Lee’s administration is that they want to continue to impose restrictions on the rights of individuals to fully exercise those rights in Tennessee.
The willingness of these taxpayer funded administration employees to oppose your Second Amendment rights is well demonstrated by his warm embrace of the gun control advocates from Moms Demand Action who appear to fully applaud his stonewalling.
Tennessee Firearms Director, Richard Archie addresses the problems with officials from Bill Lee’s administration continually injecting themselves into Legislative hearings for the primary purpose of opposing and oppressing your rights.
Tennesseans should be alarmed and offended at the clear agenda of civil rights oppression that these employees of Bill Lee’s administration exhibit. It is important to contact your Legislators and urge them to ask questions similar to those asked by Rep. Chris Todd and to demand that Legislators make public policy based on the constitution and the protection of the rights of the people and not the tyrannical agenda of taxpayer funded administrators.
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