TFA Members and Friends,
As we turn the page to a New Year, we want to thank you for standing with the Tennessee Firearms Association and for caring about the future of the Second Amendment in our state.
A new year always brings new opportunities—but in Tennessee, 2026 is also shaping up to be a year of real tests for constitutional freedoms.
The Tennessee General Assembly convenes in mid-January. At the same time, all 99 House seats and one-half of the Senate seats in the Legislature are up for re-election. In addition, after 16 years of broken promises from the last two Governors, a new Governor will selected this year. It will be critical to make sure that those elected in 2026 will keep their oath of office to the state and federal constitutions.
It means decisions made in Nashville over the next few months will not only affect your rights directly, but will also reveal which elected officials are truly willing to defend them when it counts.
One of the most important battles right now is the Hughes v. Lee case. That case squarely challenges two Tennessee statutes that criminalize the ordinary exercise of the right to keep and bear arms. A three judge trial court unanimously ruled that the challenged statutes were unconstitutional - as we have urged for decades in the Legislature. However, predictably, Governor Lee and Attorney General Skrmetti have chosen to appeal, meaning the fight is far from over. Litigation takes time, resources, and sustained commitment—but it also creates pressure and opportunity for legislative reform.
And that is where you come in.
While courts can strike down unconstitutional laws, the Legislature has the power to repeal them outright and can do so in a matter of days. The statutes challenged in Hughes — and others like them — do not have to remain on the books. This legislative session, in an election year, is the moment to demand their repeal and to insist that Tennessee law finally reflect what the Second Amendment and the Tennessee Constitution guarantee.
That kind of pressure does not happen on its own. It requires organization. It requires individual constituent engagement. And it requires resources.
Many people receiving this message support our mission but are not current paid members. Some have never been members. And, we understand that some are on fixed or limited incomes and just can't afford to be members. But, membership matters. It gives weight to our voice when we speak to legislators. It also backs up those meetings with the credible capacity to bring litigation and/or to support worthy challengers in elections.
Membership demonstrates that real Tennesseans — not the special interests funded by out-of-state billionaires — are demanding change. In addition, members' supplemental donations are essential to fund both legislative advocacy and ongoing litigation like Hughes v. Lee, where the State has made clear it will not back down voluntarily.
As 2026 begins, we ask you to consider and do three things:
The coming months will shape the direction of firearm rights in Tennessee for years to come. But, with your help, we can ensure that 2026 is remembered as the year Tennesseans reclaimed ground that should never have been lost.
Thank you for standing with us over the last three decades. Please accept our best wishes to you and your family for a strong, hopeful and successful New Year.
