On March 2, 2021, the Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee considered SB765 by Senator Jack Johnson (House version is HB786 by Rep. William Lamberth) which bill is commonly referred to as the “Governor’s Bill”. This bill is primarily a massive $17 million dollar per year crime package but it does contain a section that addresses permitless…
Author Archives: John Harris
Call to Action: TFA Statement to Legislature on Governor’s “permitless carry” proposal
There are several bills pending on constitutional carry and permitless carry in Tennessee this year. TFA advocates for the adoption of real Constitutional Carry. TFA defines real Constitutional Carry as an environment where “anyone who can legally possess a firearm can carry that firearm” and do so with minimal if any gun free zones. There…
Legislative Update and Calendar – February 26, 2021
The Tennessee Legislature has started working this week on many 2nd Amendment related bills including several that address constitutional carry or permitless carry. The weekly bill activity report is posted below. A few specific bills to watch: SB227 and HB103, as filed, would require firearms safety instruction in public schools. This can be a good…
Rep. Jerry Sexton takes on the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association in open committee
On February 24, 2021, the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association presented a statement to the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee in opposition to two bills which have the capacity to implement Constitutional Carry. Not only did the Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association oppose the proposed legislation but it also asked for increased restrictions on existing law, such as concealment requirements…
Tennessee Sheriffs’ Association exposed as anti-2nd Amendment
Tennessee is not a constitutional carry state. Tennessee Firearms Association has been trying to change that for more than a decade. Constitutional Carry, in its simplest form, means that any person who can legally possess a firearm can carry that firearm and that gun free zones are eliminated. That terminology is based on the Second…
TFA Lobby Day 2021 – Urgent Update
Tennessee Firearms Association has had a 2021 Lobby Day in the planning for almost a year. We had been planning with Gun Owners of America to have on a massive day at the Legislature on March 9, 2021. Based on continued restrictions in Nashville regarding Covid and limits imposed by the General Assembly regarding “lobby…
Constitutional and permitless carry bills to be heard week of February 22 in Tennessee Legislature
After a week off due to disabling snow in Nashville, the Tennessee Legislature returns to work on February 22, 2021. This week there are several bills that are set for committee hearings including HB18 which is sponsored by Bruce Griffey and HB786 by William Lamberth. Both are set to be heard on the 5pm Criminal…
Tennessee should not aspire to be a “Sanctuary State”
You likely keep hearing the phrase that Tennessee should become a “sanctuary state” particularly now that Biden-Harris are President and the Democrats control Congress. There is a strong argument that Tennessee should not aspire to be a “sanctuary state” but that it should have higher aspirations and purposes. First, the 2nd Amendment and 10th Amendment…
New Bill and Calendar Reports for February 12, 2021
The Tennessee Legislature has clearly been working to address 2nd Amendment issues this year. Many Tennessee Legislators are focused on these issues because they are hearing from their constituents that their constituents have these issues are priorities on their minds – particularly with the federal government now under the control of the Biden-Harris administration and…
Legislative Update 2-5-2021 – new bills reviewed
As of February 5, 2021, there are 23 bills filed which TFA is tracking. There are five new bills discussed in this update. In this report, it is important to note as with all the other filed bills that some of these are merely “caption bills”. That is, the bills have a broad caption and…