January 13, 2017
The 2017-2018 Legislative Committee Assignments are out and...
Every two years in an odd number year the Tennessee Legislature starts a new "session". Tennessee started the 110th General Assembly this week. Typically, the legislators come to Nashville at the start of a session, take their statutory oaths, are given some information from leadership and committee assignments are made and then the legislature recesses for about two weeks for reconfiguration and housekeeping before the sausage making starts.
When these elected legislators, each representing distinct groups of constituents of the state, come to Nashville to start a session they are required to take a constitutionally required oath of service. Article X, Section 2 contains the oath:
"I .......... do solemnly swear (or affirm) that as a member of this
General Assembly, I will, in all appointments, vote without favor,
affection, partiality, or prejudice; and that I will not propose or
assent to any bill, vote or resolution, which shall appear to me
injurious to the people, or consent to any act or thing, whatever, that
shall have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges,
as declared by the Constitution of this State."
One of the keys to this oath is that it places first priority on the "people" and contains a promise that no legislator will do anything - whatsoever - that might lessen infringe or impair their constitutionally recognized rights, i.,e., anything that might "... have a tendency to lessen or abridge their rights and privileges,
as declared by the Constitution of this State." Tthe oath is to defend the rights of the people and to do everything
possible, as a first priority, to ensure that the constitutional rights
of the people and that the constitutional duties of the state as a first
priority.
After having taking such oath, whether it is fully understood or not, at some point the selected leadership of the legislature announces the committee assignments. This is important because it is the leadership and manipulates the committee system to make sure that "favored" legislation, things like a gas tax increase, come to the floor for a vote but that "unfavored" legislation (by the administration or legislative leadership) gets stonewalled, derailed or defeated in these hand picked subcommittees. Therefore the composition of the subcommittees becomes important. Legislators know this and they know that some committee positions, particularly chairmanships, are more important than others. Indeed, some might speculate or wonder if some legislators might "sell their constitutions or constituents" to get committee leaderships or appointments as rewards from leadership and stepping stones to leadership ranks.
TFA has obtained the list of committee assignments that were announced this week for Senate Judiciary and also the House Civil Committee and its single subcommittee (why?) which are the committees through which 2nd Amendment bills have been killed in the past. Predictably, we are pleased with some of the assignments but certainly not all of them.
Brian Kelsey – Chair
Doug Overbey – Vice Chair
Janice Bowling – 2nd Vice Chair
Mike Bell
Lee Harris
Sara Kyle
Jon Lundberg
Kerry Roberts
John Stevens
Andy Farmer – Chair
Debra Moody – Vice Chair
Bill Beck
Mike Carter
Glenn Casada
Martin Daniel
John Fogerty
G. A. Hardaway
Courtney Rogers
Mike Stewart
Bryan Terry
Mike Carter – Chair
Bill Beck
Glenn Casada
Martin Daniel
Andy Farmer
G. A. Hardaway
Debra Moody
You can get lists of legislators as well as their office addresses, phone numbers and email addresses at the following links:
Senate Members
House Members
Here is what you can do today, this weekend and over the next two weeks. Look up each of these legislators, particularly if one or more of them represent you. Write letters, faxes, emails and call them over the next two weeks and let them know that you are supporting Constitutional Carry and the Elimination of Gun Free Zones and that you want them to help in passing these laws as one of the first orders of business in February. DO NOT think that this is a "one and done" task - you need to be making those contacts each week.
ALSO, some legislators or legislative staff may want to know if you are actually their constituent. If you are, tell them. If you are not, tell them that you are calling them because they have been assigned to the relevant committee for these bills and that your legislator has not. Accordingly, they are as committee members representing not just their constituents but all Tennesseans and you would appreciate it if they would allow you to make your wishes known to them as committee members otherwise you are being disenfranchised with respect to the actions of the committee. Be firm and insistent but polite particularly with the staff.
Finally, 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 legislature and an uncooperative administration, please consider this request to join, renew and support the Tennessee Firearms Association. Asking for your 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.
If you are ready to make the commitment to fight for our rights in 2017, please join and support TFA today and get ready because the fight for our rights is certainly not a spectator sport.
Yours,
John Harris
Executive Director
Tennessee Firearms Association
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
|
