The TFALAC 2022
Annual Event was a fantastic success. The 2023 Event is already being planned
and is expected to be held on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the Farm Bureau
Expo Center in Wilson County.
So, what are
the results?
The preliminary
results (we still have a few invoices yet to be received) indicate that the
2022 Event grossed over $86,000 in receipts. That is a significant increase
over the record 2021 Event which was $68,000 in gross receipts. With a lot of
sponsors, donors and volunteers, the net results are even better. In 2022, the
net results are at this point just over $60,000 in proceeds to the TFALAC war
chest. That compares to the approximate $45,000 that we netted in 2021.
And, all of the net proceeds stay in Tennessee to work on Tennessee state
races, primarily in the House and Senate, or are used to support specific
legislation such as the efforts that we continue to make to push for REAL
Constitutional Carry.
TFALAC has
already disbursed financial support to many candidates in the November 2022
races. These are the candidates to whom disbursements were made in September:
HOUSE
CANDIDATES
Jody Barrett
Elaine Davis
John D. Ragan
John Mark Windle
Paul Sherrell
Rush Bricken
Gino Bulso
Scott E. Cepicky
Tommy J. Vallejos, Sr.
Clay Doggett
Kip Capley
Chris Todd
Rusty Grills
Mary J Littleton
Brock Martin
Debra Moody
SENATE
CANDIDATES
Adam Lowe
Rusty Crowe
Dawn White
Paul Bailey
Mark Pody
Kerry Roberts
[Note: TFALAC
did not make Senate disbursements to candidates who are not in the November
2022 races]
While it sounds
fantastic that the supporters, like you, of a state level grassroots group are
able to come together to build this kind of war chest, it is also simply a fact
that raising funds for a war chest remains necessary to continue to push for
the repeal of state and local infringements on your rights as protected by the
2nd Amendment.
One major battle in Tennessee remains the fact that after 12
years of total control of state government, those elected to the General
Assembly still have failed to remove these infringements. The Legislature still
a) has not passed REAL constitutional carry which means that its a crime to
carry a firearm in Tennessee with intent to go armed unless you are able to
prove that you fit within one of the statutory defenses such as having a permit
or meeting all the conditions of the 2021 permitless carry law; b) has not
repealed gun free zones in places like public parks, greenways, and taxpayer
owned buildings; c) has not enacted criminal immunity provisions for those like
Kyle Rittenhouse who are forced to use deadly force in self-defense; d) has not
enacted meaningful legislation to curtail ATF and Biden administration attacks
on the 2nd Amendment Supply Chain (manufacturers and FFls), e) has not acted to
protect and promote the development of gun ranges, and f) has not recognized the
right of individuals to keep, bear and wear "arms" as opposed to only
certain categories of arms - and these are just a few of the "to-do"
items that are on the every growing list of issues to be addressed in
Tennessee.
Here is what we are asking you to do:
1) Put the 2023
Annual Event date of September 9, 2023 on your calendar now so that you can
attend.
2) Encourage
friends, family and others to become familiar with TFA, to get on the free email
list and to put the 2023 annual event on their calendars (perhaps as your
guest)
3) Commit to
coming to the Lobby Day at the Tennessee Legislature which will likely be set
in March 2023.
4) Contact your
legislators long before January 2023 and impress on them that you know
Tennessee does not have real constitutional carry and that needs to be one of
their top priorities as soon as the Legislature starts its 2023 activities
5) Watch for a
possible TFA sponsored legislative advocacy training session in early 2023
6) Consider what you can do looking forward to
2023. If you can donate $50, $100, $250, $1000 or more now, we
encourage you to do so. If you can set up donations on a "sustaining"
by having similar amounts paid automatically weekly or monthly, that capability
exists on our donation page.
TFA's success is not achieved by high paid lobbyists in jet planes with million
dollar salaries. TFA's success depends entirely on grassroots involvement. Our
successes over the last quarter century are your successes.
