Gun Laws in Tennessee
A couple of major gun stories going on in Tennessee. The first is this bit from Tom Humphrey on handgun carry permit data:
House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh and the Legislature’s newest member, Karen Camper of Memphis, combined today to keep handgun carry permit records open to the public, after a subcommittee initially supported making the records confidential.
The Criminal Practice Subcommittee voted earlier today to approve a bill requiring the Department of Safety to keep secret the names, addresses and other information on handgun carry permits.
In typical Naifeh fashion, he had to bend the rules a bit to kill the bill:
After hearing reports of how the bill was approved, Naifeh this afternoon brought Camper, newly sworn in as successor to the late Rep. Gary Rowe of Memphis, into the subcommittee meeting and introduced her as a new member who had been assigned to serve on the committee.
Sontany then moved to reconsider the vote approving the handgun carry bill. That was approved and Coleman made a motion to postpone consideration of the bill until 2012 – in effect, to kill it. That motion carried on a 5-4 vote and the bill is now dead.
Voting to kill the bill were Naifeh, Briley, Coleman, Camper and Sontany – none of whom were present for the vote approving the bill. Voting to approve the bill were Reps. Eddie Bass, D-Prospect; Fincher, Judd Matheney, R-Tullahoma; and Eric Watson, R-Cleveland.
After the maneuver, Naifeh displayed to a reporter a certificate showing he has completed the gun safety course necessary to obtain a handgun carry permit for himself. Naifeh said he has a 9 millimeter Smith and Wesson semi-automatic pistol that he plans to carry after obtaining a permit.
Make certain you contact your reps. The second bill is the restaurant carry bill that Naifeh killed, like he does every year:
Naifeh last month joined the same panel to vote against several other gun bills, including proposals to allow people to carry their weapons into restaurants and state parks, authorizing faculty and staff at public schools and universities to carry handguns on campus and to give people voluntarily hospitalized in mental institutions the right to obtain handgun permits after seven years.
Naifeh continues a pattern we pro-gunnies know well. He’s done it before and will do it again.
Gun owners in Tennessee should work to have him removed as house speaker. And to make his defeat during reelection a top priority. It is unlikely that significant pro-gun bills will pass as long as this man is in charge of the house.
Update: more here.
April 3rd, 2008 at 10:46 am
It is inconceivable that one man should be able to thwart the will of the people as blatantly as Naifeh does. Why in the world do the people of his district keep reelecting him? More importantly, why did the NRA give him a C rating!?.
April 3rd, 2008 at 11:47 am
hey unc, I noticed that 2 republicans from maryville voted for naifeh as speaker. Isn’t that where you are? I think you should loudly voice your displeasure with them. MAybe run against them in the next primary?
April 3rd, 2008 at 2:50 pm
Mike,
Reason 1:Jimmy is a democrat, Reason 2: Naifeh is a democrat. You could run a dead yellow dog as a democrat in that district and win.
The last time around Republicans were sent incorrect voters cards or absentee ballots by the local election commission or told to vote in the wrong district during early voting. Then they were charged with election fraud.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:08 pm
Usually, so-called “liberals” defend 4th Amendment rights, but NOT when it comes to gunowners who exercise their RIGHT to armed self-defense according to the 2nd Amendment AND, AND Article I, Section 26 of the State Constitution’s DECLARATION OF RIGHTS. With the permit law, the State requires protected 4th Amendment information, namely to be “secure in our effects”. That State should at least protect that information. and the onus of that law should be on State officials and agents.
So Naifeh is getting his permit, huh? IF he acts with it as he acts in the Legislature, in flagrant violation of the Federal and State Constitutions, I suppose he will carry anywhere he pleases in violation of the anti-armed self-defense laws he supports—which are usually in violation of the Federal and State Constitutions to which he takes an oath to uphold.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:12 pm
Barring Naifeh being defeated for re-election or a Republican majority in the House, some conservative Democrat who actually intends to uphold the State Constitution needs to oppose Naifeh for Speaker and hopefully get a coalition of Republicans and Democrats to remove this traitor/tyrant.
April 3rd, 2008 at 5:57 pm
Bill Hobbs, Communications Director for the Tennessee Republican Party, has a post on this: http://billhobbs.com/2008/04/return_fire.html
April 4th, 2008 at 6:55 am
Give Memphis to Georgia. Let them have Naifeh. It would be poetic justice on two levels.