Tennessee Firearms Association volunteers have been busy reading and flagging legislation to be tracked in 2023. At present, there are 67 bills that have been identified for tracking. Several of those bills are “caption bills” which appear to do insignificant or immaterial things but they were selected because they indicate the intent to amend many…
TFA Director’s report on meetings at the General Assembly on Wednesday, January 25, 2023
A report on a visit by C. Richard Archie to the General Assembly on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. I was privileged to have a sit down with the Speaker of the House on Wednesday, orchestrated by my State Rep, Chris Todd, and attended as well by Rep. Clay Doggett The take away is that we will,…
Memphis police conduct and the law of self-defense
In January 2023, an incident arose in Memphis Tennessee involving numerous city police officers and Tyre Nichols. As a result of that incident, Mr. Nichols died days after the event. On January 26, 2023, several Memphis Police officers were charged with “murder, aggravated assault, aggravated kidnapping, official misconduct and official oppression” according to an AP…
Second Amendment excuses for federal civil rights violations?
On January 23, 2023, the State of Tennessee, under the leadership of Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti, entered into an agreed order which concluded that laws enacted by the Tennessee Legislature, under a Republican super-majority, constitute an unconstitutional “scheme” that had the effect of denying 18-20 year olds the opportunity to get a handgun permit or…
Tennessee’s ban on 18-20 year olds obtaining handgun permits declared unconstitutional
On January 23, 2023, an agreed order was filed in the federal case styled Beeler v. Long, U.S. District E.D. TN 3:21-cv152 (opinion included below) in which the Tennessee Attorney General agreed with the Plaintiffs that Tennessee’s ban on 18-20 year olds to get handgun permits was unconstitutional. In 2021, Governor Bill Lee pushed an…
The inconvenient recent history of Tennessee’s gun laws and the problem of incrementalism
We often hear elected officials, particularly members of the Republican party, talking about how certain things, specifically restoring gun rights, often requires an incremental approach. See statement by Senate Judiciary Chair Mike Bell (3/2/21). But, there is also evidence that the history of the Republican control of the General Assembly starting in 2007 shows increasing…
Is “ignorance of the constitution” a valid excuse for government violations of the Second Amendment?
It has been a core principle of law in this country, under English law and dating back to at least the times of the Romans that ignorance of the law is no excuse. The legal maxim is sometimes referred to as “Ignorantia juris non excusat“. On Tuesday, January 10, 2023, Tennessee’s legislators will be sworn…
Should an individual be required to prove they are entitled to exercise the rights protected by the Second Amendment?
Tennessee law makes in a crime for anyone to carry a firearm “with the intent to go armed.” Tennessee Code Annotated § 39-17-1307(a)(1). The fact is, because of this statute, the Legislature has defined the entire state as a gun free zone, including all personally owned real property. The fact that your home, your farm,…
The United States House Speaker – do campaign promises really make a difference?
As of January 3, 2023, the Republicans were supposed to control the United States House of Representatives by a slim majority. On that date, many expected that the task of electing a new Speaker and moving forward with the business of “the people” in the House would start under Republican party control. But as of…
Will Tennessee’s GOP Legislature finally honor the Second Amendment in 2023?
Tennessee Firearms Association started working with state legislators in 1995. At that time, the Tennessee Legislature was in the total control of Democrats in both the House and the Senate. At that time, the chairmen of the respective Judiciary committees were rural, seasoned trial attorneys who, frankly, worked with Tennessee Firearms Association on some of…