Over the last three decades, the Senate Judiciary has been the primary committee in the Senate through which almost all Second Amendment themed bills must pass. Indeed, it has proven particularly under the chairmanship of Todd Gardenhire and previously Senator Brian Kelsey to be the Biblical “valley of the shadow of death” for Second Amendment legislation. The same has proven true this week as well.
Two particular bills that failed to come out of the Senate Judiciary this week were derailed when two Republicans, Senator Todd Gardenhire and Senator Paul Rose, both of whom are committee officers, voted with Democrats to kill the bills. Which ones?
Senate Bill 1227 which was sponsored by Adam Lowe is actually a bill that Speaker Cameron Sexton told TFA board members a few years ago that he thought should pass (as an aside, Speaker Sexton has made no visible efforts to actually demonstrate his support however). Senate Bill 1227 would have merely expanded Tennessee’s existing handgun permit to a “firearms” permit. Would this have been a massive change? No since in fact approximately 80% of the states already have this provision in their laws or, in many instances, simply do not even prohibit the practice. In the southeast, only Tennessee and Florida have the restriction. Indeed, even California allows longarm possession if you have a permit.
Despite this fact and the clear intent of the Second Amendment, representatives from the Tennessee Department of Safety (Elizabeth Stroecker), Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, the Tennessee Sheriffs Association, the Tennessee Chiefs of Police Association, and District Attorney representatives all spoke against the bill. Of course, none of them had a single objection based on the criteria established by the US Supreme Court in Bruen – but Governor Lee’s administration and these “law enforcement” government advocates never let a little thing like the constitution or the Supreme Court’s rulings interfere with their philosophical opposition to proposals to restore our constitutional rights. Both Senators Gardenhire and Rose made statements (time 1:17) supporting their decisions to vote against the bill but, once again, neither of those elected officials even bothered to articulate a constitutionally relevant basis for their votes.
The second bill that was derailed this week, again by Senators Todd Gardenhire and Paul Rose was Senate Bill 1407. This bill would have allowed citizens to protect their homes, their properties, their livestock, their business inventory and even their personal property from looters, burglars and thieves by, if necessary, using deadly force. Once again, a “red-shirted” lady spoke against the bill (she speaks against almost anything on the Second Amendment). In addition to her, Stephen Crump, the Executive Director of the Tennessee Attorneys General Conference as well as Patrick Powell, a taxpayer paid employee of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, spoke against this bill. Senator London Lamar (D. Shelby County) asked relevant questions about the need that citizens have to defend their properties and actually sounded as if she might vote for the bill (she did not vote either way). In addition, Senator Brent Taylor asked excellent questions of Mr. Crump during which he seemed to give clearly misleading if not simply wrong testimony about the current law in Tennessee (TCA 39-17-614) which prohibits the use of deadly force to protect property. Ultimately, Senators Gardenhire and Rose again voted no and made completely irrelevant statements why (time 1:04). Interestingly, we understand that the bill, as amended, that Senate Judiciary rejected was actually amended at the request of Lt. Governor McNally’s office.
So, for the week, at least in Senate Judiciary, Senators Gardenhire and Rose get the “hero award” from gun control advocates, including the Department of Safety, TBI, the Sheriffs, the Chiefs of Police, the DA’s conference and the “ladies in red t-shirts.” Congratulations for that award.
Find your legislator – https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/Apps/fml2022/search.aspx
John Harris | Executive Director | Tennessee Firearms Association
Joining and supporting TFA is an investment in the fight to restore our constitutional rights and to fight against politicians who are willing to sell their votes and your rights to whichever business interest gives them the most money!
