Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tennessee Pro-Gun Bills Heading to Bredesen; More Votes on Pro-Gun Bills to Come
According to my friends at the NRA, two pro-gun bills are heading towards Governor Bredesen's desk for signature.
House Bill 1285, sponsored by State Representative Dolores Gresham (R-94) and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, introduced by State Senator Mark Norris (R-32), unanimously passed both the House and Senate. HB 1285/SB 1597 would protect our Second Amendment rights during a state of emergency by prohibiting any government agency from regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms, such as occurred following Hurricane Katrina.
It is unclear as to whether Bredesen will sign this bill or not, as he has already voiced his opinion that he would clearly exercise the power he believes he has to confiscate firearms if need be. Of course, Governor Bredesen never has been that familiar with the Tennessee Constitution that he swore to uphold and defend, because those actions would clearly be unconstitutional (as per the interpretation of Professor Reynolds, who was one of the scholars that put together one of the first interpretations of the Tennessee Constitution back in the 1990s).
House Bill 145, sponsored by State Representative Michael McDonald (D-44), and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, sponsored by State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), were also passed by a unanimous vote. HB 145/SB 135 require land managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to have a base line number of public hunting acres that are always open to hunting, guaranteeing that future generations have the same hunting opportunities that are enjoyed today.
HB145/SB135 is partly a reaction to the David McMahan-led corruption of the TWRA, an episode that proved that it really is who you know when it comes to a set of rights for the elite and a different set of laws for everyone else.
You can call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 to let him know that he needs to sign these bills.
My sources with the Tennessee Firearms Association have indicated that HB132 (Mike Bell's bill which would allow for a citizen with a handgun carry permit to carry on all public hunting lands) and HB2184 (which is Frank Nicely's bill that would allow carry within the boundaries of any state park) have been rolled to next week in order for all members of House Judiciary to be present.
The fate of these two bills lies with Democratic Representatives Henry Fincher and Eddie Bass. They have shown support for the bills in the past, but it is likely that they will face significant arm-twisting by Speaker Naifeh and his minions (Briley and Sontany in this case) over the next week.
If you feel so inclined, give Rep. Fincher (800-449-8366, x 11875) and Rep. Bass (800-449-8366, x 11864) a call and ask them to continue to support these bills.
With the General Assembly doing next to nothing about illegal immigration (or many other important issues), it would be nice to come out of this session with some quality pro-firearm legislation.
House Bill 1285, sponsored by State Representative Dolores Gresham (R-94) and its companion bill, Senate Bill 1597, introduced by State Senator Mark Norris (R-32), unanimously passed both the House and Senate. HB 1285/SB 1597 would protect our Second Amendment rights during a state of emergency by prohibiting any government agency from regulating the lawful sale, possession, transfer, transport and carry of firearms, such as occurred following Hurricane Katrina.
It is unclear as to whether Bredesen will sign this bill or not, as he has already voiced his opinion that he would clearly exercise the power he believes he has to confiscate firearms if need be. Of course, Governor Bredesen never has been that familiar with the Tennessee Constitution that he swore to uphold and defend, because those actions would clearly be unconstitutional (as per the interpretation of Professor Reynolds, who was one of the scholars that put together one of the first interpretations of the Tennessee Constitution back in the 1990s).
House Bill 145, sponsored by State Representative Michael McDonald (D-44), and its companion bill, Senate Bill 135, sponsored by State Senator Doug Jackson (D-25), were also passed by a unanimous vote. HB 145/SB 135 require land managed by the Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency to have a base line number of public hunting acres that are always open to hunting, guaranteeing that future generations have the same hunting opportunities that are enjoyed today.
HB145/SB135 is partly a reaction to the David McMahan-led corruption of the TWRA, an episode that proved that it really is who you know when it comes to a set of rights for the elite and a different set of laws for everyone else.
You can call Governor Bredesen at (615) 741-2001 to let him know that he needs to sign these bills.
My sources with the Tennessee Firearms Association have indicated that HB132 (Mike Bell's bill which would allow for a citizen with a handgun carry permit to carry on all public hunting lands) and HB2184 (which is Frank Nicely's bill that would allow carry within the boundaries of any state park) have been rolled to next week in order for all members of House Judiciary to be present.
The fate of these two bills lies with Democratic Representatives Henry Fincher and Eddie Bass. They have shown support for the bills in the past, but it is likely that they will face significant arm-twisting by Speaker Naifeh and his minions (Briley and Sontany in this case) over the next week.
If you feel so inclined, give Rep. Fincher (800-449-8366, x 11875) and Rep. Bass (800-449-8366, x 11864) a call and ask them to continue to support these bills.
With the General Assembly doing next to nothing about illegal immigration (or many other important issues), it would be nice to come out of this session with some quality pro-firearm legislation.
Labels: General Assembly, NRA, Second Amendment, TFA
Permalink posted by Rob Huddleston @ 8:11 AM 
