January 19, 2023
The ATF's Pistol Brace ruling.
Although we have expected it for months now, the ATF released its new, draconian and unconstitutional "pistol brace" rule last week. It is worse than expected - but lives up to the reputation of an organization that has had as a motto " Always Think Forfeiture".
TFA is getting many inquiries on what it is doing about this. First, please understand that TFA is registered as a 501c4 and that it has a state political action committee ( www.tfalac.org) TFA is therefore not directly engaging at the federal level with the Congressional members who represent Tennessee (or, for some, claim to). However, TFA does encourage members and supporters to be in contact with their elected federal officials and make clear to them their individual views on this issue. Many national organizations are working this issue and are offering advocacy tools (which may look like this) to make it easier to reach these federal officials.
But that does not mean that TFA and its members and supporters should not be engaged at the state level to address this issue. There are options:
1) Tennessee has had a Firearms Freedom Act since 2009. It was filed by then Senator Mae Beavers and had "teeth" but the GOP controlled House and Senate watered it down substantially and to the point that it is now largely toothless. It needs to be amended and to have enforcement provisions restored and improved.
2) Tennessee has had several bills filed in the last few years to make Tennessee a "sanctuary state" for 2nd Amendment purposes. Those bills have generally lacked any meaningful enforcement mechanisms (again as a result of either who filed them or how they were amended) and need to be strengthened.
3) If the state's Attorney General will not act without a mandate from the Legislature to do so, then legislation needs to be passed immediately to mandate that Tennessee's Attorney General file actions seeking to nullify (e.g., 10th Amendment, 2nd Amendment, "separation of powers", etc.) the ATF's rules on pistol braces, bump stocks, triggers and other rules that it has passed that seek to expand or redefine statutory terms.
4) A previously filed “Second Amendment Freedom” legislation must be
revived and passed. It was killed by the legislature in the past. It
would prohibit expenditures of state or local funds to give any
assistance to enforce federal laws, rules and regulations related to the
Second Amendment. It would impose penalties on state and local
officials for doing so. It would ban federal officials who enforce those
laws in Tennessee from being eligible to be state or local government
employees in Tennessee. These are just some things that can be done.
Use the TFA's Advocacy Tool to send your comments to your state legislators today.
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