I am a gun owner and a former member of the National Rifle Association, and I value the Second Amendment right of every law-abiding citizen to keep arms suitable for both sporting and self-defense.1 However, as someone who has also experienced random gun violence first-hand, I strongly disagree with the “free-for-all” attitude many of our leaders have on this issue. Tennesseans have a right to live in peace, and I will always listen carefully to law enforcement and gun safety advocates.

Gunfire is the leading cause of death for Tennessee children, and over 1,500 Tennesseans were killed by firearms in 2021.2 This number has tragically been growing, and Tennessee has one of the worst rates of gun violence in the country. This is likely because we also have some of the weakest gun safety laws in America; Tennessee was given an “F” grade by the Giffords Law Center.3

While mental health is an important part of reducing violence in our community, I also know that people struggling with mental health issues are more likely to be victims of gun violence (either as the result of suicide, or the actions of others) than to harm others.4 For this reason, I will push back against unfair and gratuitous efforts to stigmatize people with mental illnesses.

I believe that some gun control issues, such as the legality of “assault weapons” and universal background checks, would be best handled by nationwide federal legislation because such laws significantly affect interstate commerce.

If elected, I will support legislation that will:

  • Allow judges to temporarily remove firearms from those who are an extreme risk to themselves or others (a “red flag” law), with strong due process provisions to correct abuses if they occur (similar to what was proposed,5 but since dropped for political reasons6, by Gov. Bill Lee).
  • Provide resources to local district attorneys to enforce existing laws against gun ownership by those convicted of domestic violence.7
  • Increase funding for psychiatric hospitals, which have been neglected by our General Assembly.8
  • Fully fund and support the TBI/TICS background check system so that existing gun laws can be properly enforced.9
  • Mandate safe storage of firearms, and create criminal penalties for those who negligently allow children to access guns, as is the law in other states.10
  • Mandate reporting of firearm thefts from vehicles, with limited immunity for theft victims.11
  • Close the transfer loophole, as proposed by Senator Heidi Campbell.12
  • Allow cities to opt out of the state’s permitless carry law within their municipal limits by city ordinance, provided that anyone caught violating such an ordinance must be given a warning before being prosecuted.
  • Support local school boards in providing age-appropriate gun safety and marksmanship courses under the supervision of trained and qualified instructors.
  • Support school resource officer (SRO) programs, and encourage professional excellence in this role.
  • Support research into gun violence by state universities.

I will oppose any efforts to:

  • Significantly broaden the scope of permitless carry, or lower the age to carry (while acknowledging that the complexity of the existing law may require revisions or even simplifications to make it more fair and manageable).
  • Arm teachers, staff, or others inside our schools (except for trained, on-duty law enforcement officers, and JROTC/firearms-safety instructors).
  • Defund or deter enforcement of existing state or federal firearm laws.13
  • Amend the Tennessee State Constitution to remove the power of the General Assembly to regulate guns for the purpose of preventing crime.

  1. I believe the United States Supreme Court was correct in its decision in D.C. v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008); however I have grave concerns about some of the dicta in recent cases such as the “historical analogs” test put forth in N.Y. State Rifle & Pistol Assoc. v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022). This is of course, up to the learned justices of our U.S. Supreme Court, but I would certainly hope that our state attorney general might consider writing briefs supporting reasonable positions on this in the future. ↩︎
  2. Spears, M. (2023, June 26). Firearm-related deaths in Tennessee. Retrieved from https://www.sycamoreinstitutetn.org/firearm-related-deaths-tn/ ↩︎
  3. Giffords Annual Gun Law Scorecard. (n.d.). Giffords. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/resources/scorecard/?scorecard=TN ↩︎
  4. Sullivan, K. (2019, August 6). Mental illness isn’t a major risk factor for gun violence, but here’s what is. NBC News; NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/mental-illness-isn-t-major-risk-factor-gun-violence-here-n1039666 ↩︎
  5. How Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s gun law proposal compares to red flag laws in other states. (2023, June 18). The Tennessean. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/06/18/tennessee-gun-laws-how-gov-lees-proposal-compares-to-other-states/70316920007/ ↩︎
  6. Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee won’t bring back risk protection order proposal on guns next year. (2023, November 20). The Tennessean. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2023/11/20/tennessee-gun-laws-gov-bill-lee-wont-bring-back-emergency-protective-order-bill-red-flag-law/71656411007/ ↩︎
  7. Domestic Violence & Firearms in Tennessee. (n.d.). Giffords. https://giffords.org/lawcenter/state-laws/domestic-violence-and-firearms-in-tennessee/ ↩︎
  8. “We cannot continue to lock these people up:” Sheriffs blast lack of treatment for mentally ill. (2023, October 12). News Channel 5 Nashville (WTVF). https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/broken-mental-health-crisis/we-cannot-continue-to-lock-these-people-up-sheriffs-blast-lack-of-treatment-for-mentally-ill ↩︎
  9. TBI report: State struggles with timely reporting for gun background check system. (2023, June 13). The Tennessean. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2023/06/13/tbi-report-state-faces-challenges-in-meeting-governors-reporting-timeframe-for-gun-background-check/70318915007/ ↩︎
  10. See, e.g., Texas Penal Code § 46.13. ↩︎
  11. I would support a law similar to what exists in Virginia. Reporting Lost & Stolen Guns. (n.d.). Giffords. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://giffords.org/lawcenter/gun-laws/policy-areas/owner-responsibilities/reporting-lost-stolen-guns/#footnote_29_5611. I believe that requiring that thefts be reported will help law enforcement in clearing cases of firearm theft. See, for a description of that problem, Tennessee has growing epidemic of guns stolen from cars. So why aren’t there more arrests? (2023, September 18). The Tennessean. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2023/09/18/tennessee-stolen-guns-why-few-are-arrested-for-stealing-guns/70852831007/ ↩︎
  12. SB1654. Retrieved February 27, 2024 from https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/Billinfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=SB1654&ga=113. ↩︎
  13. See, e.g., James Dallas (2020, January 28). Letter to the Editor: Should Maury County be a 2nd Amendment Sanctuary County? The Daily Herald. Retrieved December 4, 2023, from https://www.columbiadailyherald.com/story/opinion/letters/2020/01/28/letter-to-editor-should-maury-county-be-2nd-amendment-sanctuary-county/41801651/ ↩︎

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