Tennessee has a constitutional problem. The problem is that Tennessee’s Constitution, Article I, Section 26, which was last amended just after the Civil War, purports to grant to the Legislature the authority to regulate the wearing of arms. The problem is that this provision clearly violates the Second Amendment! Further, Tennessee’s Republican legislators and the…
Category Archives: News
Protect Responsible Gun Owners from Harsh Penalties under Tennessee’s “Posted Properties” statute
Tennessee has had a problem for many years as a result of an overly aggressive statute that makes it a criminal offense to even walk on property (public or private) that is posted. This statute is much harsher than the typical “trespass” statute which requires that the property owner or manager ask the individual to…
Tennessee Pending Legislation Report – February 21, 2025
Tennessee’s Legislators have been busy filing bills that relate to the Second Amendment. So far, TFA has identified 70 bills that it has marked for tracking (see PDF below). Predictably, some of these bills will have TFA’s support if they remain as presently written. The number of the supported bills is 8 including one that…
Litigation Seeks Court Ordered Injunction Barring Enforcement of Memphis Firearms Ordinance
The Memphis City Council took official action in 2024 to propose to the voters on November 5, 2024, that they adopt amendments to the Memphis Charter that addressed various firearms related topics. The City Council’s Proposed Ordinance specifically said that it would go into effect on January 1, 2025, and a provision regarding the sales…
Bill Lee and Jonathan Skrmetti submit brief claiming Tennessee’s statutes comply with Second Amendment
On February 16, 2023, a lawsuit was filed by Stephen L. Hughes, Duncan O’Mara, Elaine Kehel, Gun Owners of America, Inc., and Gun Owners Foundation against Bill Lee, in his official capacity as the governor of the state of Tennessee, and Jonathan Skrmetti, in his official capacity as the state’s Attorney General. See, Stephen L.…
Are there REALLY 29 states that have “constitutional carry”
By: Jordan Hagness In response to calls for increased gun control, there has been a countervailing movement of red states enacting bills that have been referred to as “constitutional carry” or “permitless carry” bills. Today, some have asserted that as many as 29 states are “constitutional carry” states; however, each state has a unique statutory…
TFA joins amicus brief to United States Supreme Court supporting Smith and Wesson appeal
On December 3, 2024, Tennessee Firearms Association and Tennessee Firearms Foundation joined Gun Owners of America, Inc., and several others in an amicus brief that was filed in the United States Supreme Court in the appeal by Smith and Wesson in a case filed by the country of Mexico against Smith and Wesson. The appeal…
Sen. Janice Bowling supports TFA’s lawsuit against City of Memphis regarding firearms ordinances
Senator Janice Bowling, the Senate sponsor of Senate Bill 2763 (113th General Assembly), has notified the Tennessee Firearms Association that she supports the lawsuit filed by TFA, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation and Ty Timmermann against the City of Memphis which lawsuit seeks to declare the city’s recently enacted firearms ordinances to be…
Senator Brent Taylor supports TFA lawsuit against City of Memphis over firearms ordinances adopted in violation of state preemption.
On November 17, 2024, Brent Taylor, a Tennessee Senator for Shelby County, issued an official comment on the lawsuit that was filed by Tennessee Firearms Association, Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation and Ty Timmermann against the City of Memphis. In his letter, Senator Taylor, who is also a member of the Tennessee Senate…
TFA and others sue the City of Memphis to enjoin enforcement of firearms ordinances
On November 13, 2024, the Tennessee Firearms Association filed a lawsuit (copy below) against the City of Memphis seeking to enjoin three recently enacted ordinances that violate Tennessee’s preemption statutes which reserve to the state the exclusive authority to regulate firearms issues. TFA was joined in the filing by Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners…