On December 17, 2025, a joint Legislative committee considered a proposed rule change (redlined copy) by the Tennessee Department of Safety.  At the hearing on December 17, the joint committee considered a motion by Rep. Jeremy Faison to continue the hearing for 30 days.   Rather than vote on Rep. Faison's request, the committee allowed testimony from Elizabeth Stroecker (attorney for the Department of Safety) and testimony by several witnesses opposing the proposed rule. 

The hearing was recorded.  The discussion of the Department of Safety's proposed rule and why it was taking this action starts at time mark 2:36:17 of the video.

The testimony by Elizabeth Stroecker was that the rule changes which sought to a) ban firearms from the classroom session unless permanently disabled, and b) which sought to limit instructors to those who hold and maintain enhanced handgun permits were proposed for "safety" reasons because apparently since 1996 when the Department of Safety took control of the classes and their structure apparently an instructor somehow shot a student.   Of course, that means all guns have to be banned, right?   Nothing was said about who the instructor was, whether the instructor was law enforcement trained or privately trained, whether the discharge was accidental or intentional or any other details.  No, in typical Department of Safety (and in particular Elizabeth Stroecker) style, the response was that the Department of Safety must ban firearms (not just handguns) whether loaded or unloaded from all enhanced handgun permit classroom programs.    

Fortunately, it was clear from the video of the hearing that once citizens and instructors became aware of these proposals from Bill Lee's administration through Elizabeth Stroecker's assertions of fact that some legislators were clearly unwilling to just accept her assertions as sufficient basis for approving this rule change at this time. 

What can you do?

If you are concerned about these proposed changes, you should take action immediately.  Contact the members of the committee.  Tell them your thoughts about the proposed rule change or, for that matter, your thoughts about the meddling of the Department of Safety through Elizabeth Stroecker.  A list of the members of the Legislature's Joint Government Operations Committee is on this hearing notice agenda and list of committee members.  Thank those legislative members who opposed Ms. Stroecker's attempts to further curtail and impair your rights by proposing rules and restrictions that simply did not exist when the 2nd Amendment was adopted. 

You can also contact Ms. Stroecker who is the individual attorney in the Department of Safety who likely wrote and who presented this rule change.  Indeed, if you have watched videos of proposed 2nd Amendment legislation over the last decade or so, its the same Elizabeth Stroecker who clearly and predictably opposes almost every pro-2nd Amendment legislation and who supports efforts to extend and preserve the existing government infringements.   You can reach her at 

   Elizabeth Stroecker
   Elizabeth.Stroecker@tn.gov
   615-712-1525
   312 Rosa L Parks Ave., Nashville, TN 37243

You may want to save her phone number and email address for the upcoming Legislative session because history proves that she likely will once again be working against your 2nd Amendment rights at every opportunity.  

Indeed, on the issue of the Department of Safety and Elizabeth Stroecker, perhaps the State of Tennessee should follow the steps of the Trump Department of Justice and instead of sending Stroecker to oppose 2nd Amendment legislation and your rights the state should establish a Second Amendment Civil Rights division to advocate FOR our rights in the Legislature rather than against them.   Certainly, that division cannot be placed within the Department of Safety as long as its is controlled by Elizabeth Stroecker and Bill Lee.  Further, it perhaps cannot even be placed in the Attorney General's office now that it is appealing the ruling in Hughes v. Lee!  

Which branch of state government exists to protect the constitutionally protected rights of the citizens?  Call or email your legislators and ask them and, if they even bother to respond, share their responses.