Lowell Russell is the chair of the House Civil Justice Subcommittee. He serves on a number of House committees all as a result of being appointed to those positions by Speaker Cameron Sexton.
On Wednesday, February 26, 2025, Rep. Russell was chairing the House Civil Justice Subcommittee. At that time, Rep. Jay Reedy had placed House Joint Resolution 53 (HJR53) on notice. HJR53 is the current version of a bill that would place on the ballot in 2030 a constitutional amendment that is written to remove a provision of the state constitution regarding firearms which provision is in conflict with the Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” mandate. HJR53 would simply align the language of the state’s constitution with the Second Amendment.
Indeed, a similar resolution was pending in 2024 and actually was approved by the Senate. Had it been approved by the House in 2024, it potentially would have put the issue on the ballot for the voters in 2026. But, someone in the House, some have suggested it was House Republican leadership, did not want this unconstitutional constitutional provision removed. The matter was blocked in the House in 2024 through a mechanism that blocked the resolution from even having a floor vote.
At the beginning of the committee hearing on February 26,2025, Rep. Russell announced that 11 firearms related bills, which were not identified but which include included HJR53, would not be heard by the committee but that these bills would be delayed until March 26, 2025. One concern is that pushing all committee hearings on firearms bills to a date that late in the session is almost certain to mean that these bills have a much lower chance of passage in 2025 because of the number of committee hearings that would be required and the subtle “hints” already that the Legislative leadership wants to adjourn in early April.
Why would Rep. Russell do this? We need to know!
Was it to allow the committee to focus on firearms bills? Probably not since that could have been done much early by scheduling a “firearms hearing date” shortly after the bill cutoff date or, at the latest, the first week of March.
Was it at the request of the bill sponsors? Ask Rep. Jay Reedy, the sponsor of HJR53, and you will likely learn that he made no such request.
Was it because he was told to do so by someone in leadership? He does not say on the video containing the announcement.
Please contact Lowell Russell and ask him. Ask him if he was told to do this? Ask him to undo the damage.
— His email is rep.lowell.russell@capitol.tn.gov.
— His office number in Nashville is (615) 741-3736
— His Facebook Page is www.facebook.com/Lowell.Russell07
— His X (Twitter) Page is x.com/lowellrussell21
But, don’t stop with the contacting Lowell Russell to get answers on why he choose to delay constitutionally relevant legislation, contact contact your legislators today and urge them to support HJR53 and demand that it and other Second Amendment bills be taken up now. By sending a quick email, you can help protect responsible firearm owners from unjust penalties.
Oh, and don’t waste your time asking Bill “Lame Duck” Lee for a special session to address Tennessee’s numerous laws, regulations and ordinances that openly violate the Second Amendment – he does not care, indeed, he and his “spokespersons” from the Department of Safety and TBI are part of the problem!
Finally, if you conclude that Tennessee’s laws do not fully satisfy the Second Amendment’s “shall not be infringed” mandate, call the Governor, call these Republican Legislative leaders, and call your own legislators and ask them “Why, why does Tennessee knowingly violate the Second Amendment?”
But, even more relevant, ask them “Why, why do they knowingly violate the Second Amendment and your Civil Rights?“
Governor Bill Lee (615) 741-2001
Lt. Governor Randy McNally (615) 741-6806
Speaker Cameron Sexton (615) 741-2343
Senator Jack Johnson (615) 741-2495
Rep. William Lamberth (615) 741-1980
Find your legislator – https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/search.aspx
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