On August 9, 2024, the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the district court on a case in which numerous states and private parties challenged the ATF’s “pistol-brace” regulatory decision which attempted to reclassify items that it had previously approved as non-NFA “pistols” to NFA short barrel rifles. See, Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, Inc., et…
Tennessee’s 2024 Primary Election Results
Tennessee conducted its 2024 primaries elections on August 1, 2024. The results of those elections are a mixed set of results for Second Amendment advocates. Since Tennessee Firearms Association’s legislative advocacy efforts are focused on Tennessee, we will focus these comments on Tennessee’s legislative races. One result of this election is that the large majority…
Texas Federal Court strikes down ATF’s classification of “force reset triggers” as machineguns
On July 23, 2024, Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor of the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas granted summary judgment against the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and struck down the ATF’s rule that classified “force reset triggers” (“FRT”) as devices that covert semi-automatic firearms into machineguns. See, National…
Which TN Republican Legislators are favorites of gun control advocates?
Tennessee political action committees were required to file disclosures by July 10, 2024, detailing which candidates and entities they are financially supporting. Many gun control groups represent that they and their members support the Second Amendment but that they want “reasonable” gun control laws and/or laws that advance public safety. One of Tennessee’s newest gun…
Federal Court in Kansas denies injunction request to State of Tennessee against ATF’s “engaged in business rule”
On July 10, 2024, Federal District Judge Toby Crouse (appointed by Trump), sitting in Kansas, denied a request by two dozen states, including Tennessee, for a temporary restraining order and a preliminary injunction against the ATF’s new “engaged in business” rule. Opinion below. The result of this ruling is that the ATF’s new rule which…
2024 Candidate Interviews on Second Amendment issues
Tennessee Firearms Association contacted the 2024 candidates for the State Senate who had contested Republican primaries to interview them to get their responses to a limited set of questions in advance of the upcoming primaries. Each candidate was given the list of questions in advance and all candidates were given the same questions Each candidate…
United States Supreme Court strikes down ATF’s “bump stock” rule.
On June 14, 2024, the United States Supreme Court in its decision in Cargill v. Merrick Garland, et al, 22-976 struck down the ATF’s bump stock rule in a 6-3 decision written by Justice Thomas. Tennessee Firearms Association and the Tennessee Firearms Foundation joined Gun Owners of American and Gun Owners Foundation by submitting an…
Federal Court in Texas declares ATF “pistol brace” rule void
On June 13, 2024, Federal District Judge Reed O’Connor, of the Northern District of Texas, held that the ATF’s “pistol brace” rule is void. Although it did not address the constitutional challenges to the ATF’s actions, the Court found that it did not need to reach the constitutional issues since the ATF’s conduct violated “[Administrative…
Federal Court enjoins ATF’s “engaged in business” rule
On June 11, 2024, Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, issued a preliminary injunction against the ATF’s enforcement of its “engaged in business” rule. The preliminary injunction protects individuals in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Utah, as well as the members of Gun Owners of America, Gun Owners Foundation, Tennessee…
Covenant School shooting records leaked?
On March 27, 2023, a multi-victim shooting took place in Nashville, Tennessee at the Covenant Church / Covenant School which involved the murder of six individuals. On May 1, 2023, Tennessee Firearms Association and Sheriff (retired) James Hammond filed, with the assistance of Judicial Watch, an open records request with the Metropolitan Police Department to…