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…
Author Archives: John Harris
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…
TFA initial review of 2022 Tennessee legislation
Tennessee Firearms Association has initially marked 45 bills which have been filed in the Tennessee Legislature since it adjourned in 2021 that fall within the scope of issues that TFA monitors. Some of the bills are consistent with the 2nd Amendment’s mandate that the individual right to arms “shall not be infringed”, some are neutral…
New Attorney General Opinion on Carrying Handguns in Buildings in which Judicial Proceedings Occur
On January 24, 2022, the Tennessee Attorney General released Opinion 22-01 in which several questions from Rep. Terri Lynn Weaver were addressed. Although you should read the full opinion to get a grasp of the outrageous scheme bodied in the current statute, these are the summary points made by the Attorney General in responding to…
Legislative Update – January 28, 2022 new bills filed
A number of new bills have been filed this week. The ones we have identified so far for tracking are attached in the PDF that is available below. This is a quick summary of some but not all of the bills in the report. Also, we believe some of the bills may be “caption bills”…
Joint GOA and TFA Lobby Day on the Hill scheduled for March 16, 2022
Join GOA-TN and Tennessee Firearms Association in Nashville! There is no better way to let our elected representatives know how to best represent us than showing up and having conversations. Plan to attend the 2022 Gun Owners Lobby Day to hear from representatives across the state and meet personally with your representatives! We’ll keep you…
TFA is releasing interviews with State Legislative members regarding the status of the 2nd Amendment in Tennessee and the 2022 Legislative session.
Beginning in December 2021, TFA has started releasing interviews of members of the Tennessee Legislature on the status of the 2nd Amendment in Tennessee. As of January 3, 2022, interviews with Rep. Clay Doggett, Rep. Chris Todd and Rep. Jay Reedy have been produced and are released on the TFA’s podcast page. TFA views this…
Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals affirms district court’s refusal to grant injunction in bumpstock litigation.
On December 3, 2021, an en banc panel of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals issued a divided opinion in which 8 judges voted to uphold the district court’s refusal to grant Gun Owners of America an injunction against the enforcement of the “bumpstock ban” and 8 judges voted to reverse the district court. In…
Does Tennessee recognize the right that is protected by the 2nd Amendment?
Recently, TFA’s volunteer executive director, John Harris, was speaking with a group concerning Tennessee’s gun laws. At this particular meeting, the issue that he spoke on the difference between a constitutionally protected right and a state regulated privilege. The example he used to illustrate the contrast between constitutionally protected rights and state regulation of privileges…