Internet Exclusive: Talks of new firearm bills are underway at this time in Tennessee by one organization...
Below Press Release from the The Tennessee Firearms Association:
The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) has announced its goals for the 2014 legislative session which include strengthening the 2009 Firearms Freedom Act and re-writing the Safe Commute legislation.
"We are closely watching the legislature this year. Any elected official who votes against or works to obstruct the right to keep and bear arms will likely feel the pain from the voters in their district during their next election" TFA Executive Director John Harris pointed out.
"Former State Rep. Debra Maggart in 2012 underestimated the voters' willingness to fight for their right to keep and bear arms and she lost her election because of it." The TFA's political arm, TFALAC, joined in with other conservative grassroots groups to play a significant role in the ousting of Rep. Maggart who was the House Caucus Chairman and replacing her with retired Lt. Col. Courtney Rogers whose military service has proven her dedication to the citizens and to defending the Constitution.
The bills that TFA will be focusing on in 2014 have yet to be filed but those bills and their sponsors will be announced in coming days.
The Firearms Freedom Act declares that the States speaking through the US Constitution expressly prohibited the federal government from having any regulatory authority over firearms inside the state of Tennessee, and as such no federal firearms law in Tennessee is valid. These prohibitions are most prominent in the wording of 2nd and 10th Amendments. The new push will mandate criminal penalties for any federal or state official attempting to enforce unconstitutional federal firearms laws within the borders of Tennessee. It is also expected to authorize citizens to pursue claims by expressly defining federal firearms laws as intentional civil rights violations.
The Safe Commute legislation revamps the current version which is based on the "castle doctrine" allowing one to use deadly force to protect themselves in their home or vehicle. The Tennessee General Assembly in 2008 redefined a person's home, that is their "castle", to include personal vehicles in part to give citizens the increased ability to resist carjackings. The TFA recommends legislation that will ensure that no criminal or economic consequences are possible for individuals storing any legally possessed items - whether a personal firearm or a Bible - in a vehicle they lawfully possess. In 2013 the legislature passed a poorly written version of Safe Commute law forced into law by Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey that was later found by the state Attorney General to allow for employees to be fired or even criminally prosecuted if they leave a legally possessed firearm locked safely in a vehicle while at work. This bill will seek to protect citizens from being fired or prosecuted who are concerned with their ability to safely commute to and from work.
