If you have not seen the
video
of representatives from the Tennessee Department of Safety or the
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation recently going into a House committee
hearing to tell your elected Representatives that “they” – on behalf of
Bill Lee and his administration – oppose enacting constitutional carry
you should take a minute and watch the video. It will infuriate most
of you and it should.
House Bill 1005 and its Senate companion SB1503 will move Tennessee closer to REAL constitutional carry. The House has moved
HB1005 forward on March 15 - Gun Owners Lobby Day.
The Senate Judiciary is the next hurdle and we need
your help. There are nine members of the Senate Judiciary. Seven of
the nine are Republicans. We need five – just five – committee members
to vote “yes”. These are the ones that need to hear from you:
Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R) – Chair of the Committee
Sen. Paul Rose (R) – 2nd Vice Chair
Sen. Sara Kyle (D)
Sen. London Lamar (D)
Sen. Jon Lundberg (R)
Sen. Brent Taylor (R)
Sure,
you would expect that a bill carried by Sen. John Stevens, who is a
Republican member of that committee himself, would easily have 7
Republican votes, but we can’t count on even getting 5 without your
involvement.
It is critical that you stand up and fight back by sending an email and tweet today to these Senators!Tennessee
presently does not have REAL Constitutional Carry – which means that it
is a crime to carry a firearm with the intent to be ready to defend
yourself or your family. In Tennessee, carrying a firearm with intent
to go armed is a crime. Tennessee’s Legislators put the burden AND
expense on you to prove that you fit into one of several statutory
affirmative defenses – one of which is whether you have a handgun
permit.
There is a big difference in lawfully exercising a constitutionally
protected right and being stopped or arrested for doing so and having to
prove that you were complying with a defense (like having a permit)!
