On April 5, 2022, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s “caption bill” which he is sponsoring, SB1005, was amended from a 2 page bill to a 15 page bill that now contains a direct attack on the 1st Amendment rights of Tennesseans who support issue advocacy groups such as the Tennessee Firearms Association which are established as…
Author Archives: JohnHarris
Tennessee Senate Republicans kill REAL Constitutional Carry on April 6, 2022 and break a promise doing it
The Senate Judiciary “killed” the 2022 REAL constitutional carry bill (HB2524/SB2866) today by sending it to “summer study”. That much we know. We also know that this is EXACTLY what Governor Bill Lee, his Commissioner in the Department of Safety, Jeff Long (a former sheriff), and the Department of Safety’s taxpayer funded spokesperson had wanted…
Tennessee Firearms Association joins in amicus brief to US Supreme Court on high capacity magazines
On April 1, 2022, Tennessee Firearms Association joined with Gun Owners of America, Inc., and other national and state organizations to submit an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court in a petition filed in the case of Virginia Duncan, et al., v. Rob Bonta, No. 21-1194. This is one of many cases in…
Is 18 “too young” to be allowed to carry a firearm?
There have been several bills pending over the last few years in Tennessee that raise the issue of whether those 18-20 years old should be allowed to carry a handgun or obtain a handgun permit. Some think that they should based, for example, on the fact that at 18 they can legally purchase in casual…
Is Tennessee on the verge of unintended consequences with amendment to REAL constitutional carry?
On March 29, Tennessee’s House Criminal Justice Subcommittee took up HB2524 by Rep. Jerry Sexton. To be clear, Tennessee Firearms Association still supports Rep. Jerry Sexton on this bill but there are some serious concerns with the amendment that was added and the fact that this amendment may make some individuals who can today lawfully…
“REAL” Constitutional Carry bill moving forward in Tennessee Legislature
There is legislation which moved forward in the Tennessee House this week which could cause REAL constitutional carry to be adopted in Tennessee in 2022. The legislation in the House is HB2524 by Rep. Jerry Sexton. The Senate version of the bill is SB2866 by Senator Paul Bailey. The House bill was approved by the…
Is the Tennessee Democrat Party planning to unseat incumbent Rep. John Mark Windle, one of Tennessee’s longest serving Democrats over 2nd Amendment issues?
News reports broke on March 22, 2022, that a potentially nefarious plan is being considered by state Democrat party leaders to remove long serving House Democrat John Mark Windle from ballot eligibility in 2022 because he has a history of supporting core constitutional rights like those protected by the 2nd Amendment? It would appear so…
Is the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation deceiving Legislators about the 2nd Amendment?
There is a serious problem in Tennessee. A problem that occurs because taxpayer funded individuals and departments that are in the administration use your tax dollars to lobby against your constitutionally protected rights. These administrative agencies are under Bill Lee’s control as governor. Presumptivley they speak for him. But, as the “administration” their job is…
Tennessee’s history of failed 2nd Amendment incrementalism
Almost every candidate that has run for the office of governor or the state Legislature in the last 30 years has, particularly if they identify as a conservative or a Republican, claimed that they support your rights as protected by the Constitution and the Second Amendment. That has been true when the Democrats held state…
TFA joins federal litigation in 5th Circuit Court of Appeals over federal bump-stock ban
On February 4, 2022, the Tennessee Firearms Association joined forces with Gun Owners of America by filing an amicus brief, a pleading commonly also referred to as a “friend of the court” pleading, in the case of Cargill v. Garland, which is pending in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Other organizations joining in this…