Tennessee Firearms Association and Gun Owners of America are planning a Gun Owners Lobby Day to be held on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at the Tennessee Legislature. For now – make arrangements to be there that day as we work to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in 2026 for gun owners, we work to pass the handful of good 2nd Amendment bills that are pending and we work to impress on Legislators that they need to STOP most of the bills that are pending this year that include Red Flag laws, new crimes targeted at owners, new taxes to be imposed on gun owners and just more and more “big state” proposals to burden all citizens.
We hope to send out more details and registration links soon but for now mark Tuesday, April 2, 2024, for a day of grassroots engagement at the Legislature.
URGENT — Contact your Tennessee State Legislators to demand that they sponsor the proposed Constitutional Amendment to restore your Second Amendment Rights.
Some Legislators have proposed and are supporting a Constitutional amendment that would repeal the existing unconstitutional provision and substitute the phrase “That the citizens of this State have a right to keep, bear, and wear arms.” (See Amendment 1 to HJR0038 by Rep. Jay Reedy and SJR0904 by Sen. John Stevens)
The amendment would, at the state level, reinforce that state legislators, local governments and others government decision makers are constitutionally prohibited from engaging in any “interest balancing” that the Supreme Court has said the Second Amendment prohibits.
When we say “some”, as of March 8, 2024, 55 House members (out of 99) have sponsored or co-sponsored the proposed constitutional amendment – but there are some notable omissions like Speaker Cameron Sexton, Speaker Pro Tempore Pat Marsh, and Republican Caucus Chairman Jeremy Faison just to name a few). We are glad to see Rep. Joe Towns sign on as a Democrat member of the Legislature demonstrating that this is not just a “Republican” matter.
On the Senate side is SJR0904. only eight of the State’s 33 Senators have sponsored or co-sponsored the resolution – by Sen. John Stevens , with co-sponsors Senators Bailey, Bowling, Hensley, Jackson, Pody, Haile and Yager. Notably missing are Senate leadership including Lt. Governor McNally, Deputy Speaker Shane Reeves, and Deputy Speaker Dawn White.
Why are these members of leadership in both Houses and other elected members of the Legislature not already signed on as co-sponsors to a proposal that merely makes the Tennessee Constitution compatible with the Second Amendment? That is a question that their constituents need to be asking!
TFA has an easy to use email advocacy call to action tool that allows you to email your House and Senate members, the Lt. Governor, the Speaker of the House and Tennessee Governor with your request that they support amending Tennessee’s constitution.
Use it today and share it with others!
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!
