| March 31, 2017
As March ends, conservatives also see the end of several 2nd Amendment bills that other states are rushing to enacted into law. Just this year, for example, both New Hampshire and North Dakota have already enacted constitutional carry. Other states are boldly recognizing the rights of citizens and removing gun free zones.
In Tennessee, such bills are dying in committees and worse, subcommittees, at a rapid pace under the hands of feckless legislative leaders who are unwilling to put these 2nd Amendment issues on the floors of the respective houses for a "representative" vote of all elected legislators. Just this week, for example, a House subcommittee on Wednesday killed permitless open carry, constitutional carry and a civil immunity bill - without even taking roll call votes. This is the same old shenanigans from the same old group of legislators who have proven repeatedly that they are unwilling to even put these issues to a vote on the respective floors.
The other significant news was on one of these bills (HB0593), Governor Haslam had dispatched a taxpayer funded administration lobbyist to speak against the bill. Despite Haslam's campaign "promise" that he would sign constitutional carry into law, the governor's minion rose and spoke on the record to remind the committee that the governor opposes constitutional carry!!
Are we to be surprised? No. We have legislators in Tennessee gleeful about raising fuel taxes (they have already raised the state budget by approximately $7 billion in 7 years), in giving taxpayer funded education discounts to illegal aliens (and even on one bill illegal aliens who are not residents of Tennessee), and other such mind numbing "policy" statements. Are we to be surprised that they ignore their campaign promises here as well?
Do not despair. TFA knows and you should know by now that constitutional rights, once impaired, are not restored in a single session or on a single vote (unless of course you have true constitutional stewards serving in the legislature and abiding by their oaths). However, when you have feckless minions in charge, sometimes you have to "drain the swamp" before you can clear the water.
Bill Status Report
Attached is a report on bills that have had status changes since March 27, 2017.
Bill Calendar Report
Several bills are also on calendar to be heard in the Legislature the week of April 3, 2017. A calendar report of these bills is attached.
Please look over this list and contact your legislators and the committee members with comments on these bills. Remember, when contacting legislators, face to face meetings are best. Calls and letters (including faxes) are second best. Least effective is emails - but at least send emails.
You can get the contact information for all legislators (and look up your legislators) at these two links:
Find My Legislator Lookup tool
Senate Directory
House Directory
If you appreciate these reports, please join Tennessee Firearms Association at join.tennesseefirearms.com or, if you are a current member, consider a supplemental member contribution to help cover the costs of collecting and organizing this information.
Yours
John Harris
Executive Director
Tennessee Firearms Association
PS If you want
to help us move to get rid of gun free zones, to enact constitutional
carry, and to push back against an unwilling legislative leadership and an
uncooperative administration, please consider this request to join, renew and support
the Tennessee Firearms Association. Asking for your member support of TFA is a
call to action both financially and, more importantly, a call to
affirmative action of individual engagement in a real battle for the
restoration of our rights.
Other important links
TFA Website: www.tennesseefirearms.com
TFA PAC: www.tfalac.org
Facebook TFA Page: www.facebook.com/Tennfirearms/
Facebook TFA Group: www.facebook.com/groups/TennesseeFirearms/
Twitter: @Tennfirearms
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