The long-running court fight that began over three years ago over public access to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department’s records concerning the 2023 Covenant School shooting has reached another major turning point. On August 13, 2026, the Tennessee Supreme Court denied the applications seeking permission to appeal the Tennessee Court of Appeals’ February decision. The…
Author Archives: John Harris
Silencer Shop v. ATF – What it means in Tennessee
Tennessee Firearms Association has received a substantial number of inquiries from its members as well as the general public concerning the impact of the ruling regarding whether ATF can lawfully require the filing of certain registration forms for suppressors and other NFA regulated items. Subject to the Legal Notice below, this information is intended to…
Tennessee “Constitutional Carry”: What the Statutes Actually Say
Tennesseans are frequently told that Tennessee is a “constitutional carry” state. That description is incomplete. Well, its actually false. Tennessee does permit many qualifying adults to carry handguns without first obtaining a handgun carry permit, but the Tennessee Criminal Code still contains a much older and much broader starting point: Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-1307(a)…
Tennessee’s Most Powerful Unelected Office: Why the Next Lieutenant Governor Matters
In January 2027, the Tennessee Senate will select its Speaker—the official we commonly call the Lieutenant Governor. Tennesseans should pay considerably more attention to that decision than they ordinarily do, because the office combines an unusual concentration of legislative, political, and potentially executive power. Tennessee voters do not elect a Lieutenant Governor in a statewide…
Federal Court Knocks Out Key NFA Rules Regarding Suppressors and SBRs But Most Tennesseans Are Not Yet Protected
A Texas ruling on August 5, 2026, finds that Congress removed the constitutional foundation for federal registration and approval rules covering suppressors and short-barreled firearms thus striking down the requirement that individuals register the transfers of those firearms with the ATF. But, not in Tennessee. Congress enacted the National Firearms Act, or NFA, in 1934…
A GOVERNOR’S POSITION ON THE SECOND AMENDMENT HAS REAL CONSEQUENCES
Tennessee’s next governor will influence whether constitutional disputes are resolved through legislative leadership or costly litigation. The selection of Tennessee’s next governor will affect more than the public language used to discuss the Second Amendment. It may determine whether unconstitutional firearm laws are examined and corrected through the ordinary political process or if they will…
Election Week 2026: August 6 Is Not the Finish Line
The Tennessee Firearms Association is carefully watching the August 6 Tennessee primaries. Every Tennessean who cares about the Second Amendment, constitutional government, and honest public service should be watching as well. TFA has worked for more than three decades to restore the Second Amendment to its full force. Some progress has been made, but Tennessee…
Election Week 2026: What TFA Can and Cannot Tell You
Tennessee’s August primary election is Thursday, August 6, 2026. As Election Day approaches, Tennessee Firearms Association is receiving a substantial number of questions about candidate surveys, interviews, campaign contributions, and endorsements. The most common question is straightforward: Who has TFA endorsed? More precisely, the most common theme is who is TFA supporting in the Republican…
The Most Important August Races That You May Be Ignoring
Tennessee’s State Executive Committee Elections Matter On August 6, 2026, Tennessee voters will select candidates for governor, Congress, the General Assembly, and other public offices. Republican and Democratic primary voters will also elect the members of their parties’ State Executive Committees. These races may appear near the bottom of the ballot, but they should not…
TFA Interviews Republican Gubernatorial Candidates – well, it tried to…
Tennessee’s August 2026 primary will select the Republican nominee for governor in 2026. As a practical matter, that primary IS the election and the November general election will likely be nothing more than a formality. Tennessee Firearms Association sent its written 27 question survey to all Tennessee candidates for Governor and the Legislature. Of the…