TN Members - Act NOW on Restaurant Carry

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Golden Saber

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From NRA-ILA at http://www.nraila.org/CurrentLegislation/Read.aspx?ID=1473

Tennessee Please Contact Your State Representative!

Friday, March 25, 2005

The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-1 to approve SB 1901, legislation making Tennessee one of over 30 states that currently allow handgun permit holders to carry their self-defense firearms in restaurants and other establishments that sell alcohol. The full Senate moved quickly to pass the bill by an overwhelming vote of 29-3. The companion House bill is HB 2225. It is critical that you contact your State Representative and ask that he or she support HB 2225. You can find contact information by using NRA-ILA`s "Write Your Representatives" feature
 
This bill now scheduled for 4/6

From the Tennessee Firearms Association:

The Senate has already passed by a substantial majority the restaurant bill. It is now on notice in the House Judiciary Constitutional Protections subcommittee.

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BillCompanionInfo.asp?BillNumber=HB2225

It is IMPERATIVE that each of the members of this committee and the subcomimttee be called with polite demands for its passage. It is also important for EACH OF YOU to call your REPRESENTATIVE and insist that they a) sign on as a co-sponsor of the bill and b) contact the Democrat members of the Constitutional Protections Subcommittee to insist on its passage out of that committee (McMillan, Sontany, Henri Brooks).

Keep in mind these talking points:

-The current statute (TCA 39-17-1305) makes it a Class A misdemeanor for anyone to carry firearms into establishments that serve alcohol (including beer) for on-premises consumption.

-The bill amends the law to create an exception for civilian handgun permit holders to be able to possess the handgun while in an establishment that serves alcoholic beverages or beer only so long as the individual is not consuming alcohol or beer. Without this exception, handgun permit holders have to either leave the firearm unattended in a vehicle or not patronize that type of restaurant at all.

-The Senate has already passed the bill (SB 1901 ) by a 29-3 vote on March 23, 2005.

-One of the main concerns for permit holders is not the need for the firearm in the restaurant but the concern for their exposure going to and from the restaurant (e.g., in a downtown environment) as well as the concern for leaving it unattended in a vehicle.

-If the individual does not have a valid civilian handgun permit, the criminal sanctions would still apply.

-If the individual is consuming alcoholic beverages, the criminal sanctions would still apply.

-The amendment gives the property owner the RIGHT to decide whether to allow permit holders on the property because it DOES NOT PROHIBIT the restaurant owner from posting the proper "gun free" just as other businesses do under TCA Sec. 39-17-1359.

-At least 33 other states have no such restriction.

-This is one of the TFA and NRA's top 5 bills this year. A legislator's willingness to co-sponsor this bill will be favorably viewed by both organizations in future election ratings and the failure to do so may likewise factor into future election ratings.

Use the "Contact Your Legislator" function of either the TFA or NRA web sites to get the contact information for your legislator.
 
Also done, David. Plus it's a good idea to ask your State Rep. to co-sponsor the bill in the House, HR2225.

Rick
 
Though I am in AR, sent some letters on your behalf.

Hey, I've enjoyed many a meal in TN, and will continue to.
Same as I appreciate CCW-ing and various other firearm related stuff in TN.

Recipricosity ;)
 
Thanks guys. Rep. Curry Todd, R-95, has said that he is signing on. Giving credit where credit is due, he knows how to live up to his A+ rating.
 
Emailed both Sen Douglas Henry and Rep Gary Odom urging their support. I dont actually know which side they are on or would be assumed to take.
I pointed out to both that KY has had this for years with no problems. CCW holders are generally just too responsible and went through too much trouble to toss it by doing something stupid.
 
I am assuming this is a local state bill, not involving Bart Gordon in Washington? I am having no luck searching for my state House rep; I have found Diane Black, my state Senate rep. Any clue who the Sumner county House rep is?

Or, do I just not understand how government works, and it is Bart Gordon I need to contact........?
 
standing wolf, are you saying it's legal to ccw in bars in CO?

interesting...
 
Steelharp,

This is your State Legislature representative. Bart Gordon is your (and my) Representative in the US House of Representatives in Washington. On the page The Rabbi pointed you to, look about 2/3 of the way down the center column for this link:

Who is my State Representative?

The link takes you to a page where you select your county and then click on the area of the county in which you live. I selected Rutherford County, then clicked on Lavergne in the county map and up popped the page for Kent Coleman, who is my rep.
 
standing wolf, are you saying it's legal to ccw in bars in CO?
Click to expand...

Yep. It's not prohibited, so it's legal.

I assume there's some sort of prohibition against drinking too much while keeping and bearing arms; since I'm a water drinker, however, I've never bothered to look it up.
 
Rep. Frank Buck is the sponsor of the bill. Yesterday, the following co-sponsors were added:

Republican Leader Tre' Hargett of Shelby County
Rep. Paul Stanley of Shelby County
Rep. Curry Todd of Shelby County
Rep. Bubba Pleasant of Shelby County
Rep. Susan Lynn of Sumner/Wilson Counties
Rep. Debra Maggart of Sumner County
Rep. Phillip Johnson of Cheatham County

Keep up the good work today!!
 
I got a signed letter from Sen Doug Henry informing me the bill passed the Senate and he had voted for it. Now thats fast! Probably why he has been in the state senate since before I was born.
 
Yesterday, HB2225 was rolled to the 4/20 calendar of the Constitutional Protections SubCommittee of the House Judiciary Committee. Here is an alert email from the Tennessee Firearms Association regarding the bill. John Harris, the Exec. Director, works with the NRA-ILA on lobbying efforts.

****************************************************************

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION, INC.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE


At present we have 28 of 99 House members who have signed on as co-sponsors on this bill. We would like to have AT LEAST -- 50 -- by April 19, 2005. Look at the list. If your legislator has not signed on call them and insist
that they do.

Act NOW. If you want this bill to pass which will allow Tennessee handgun permit holders to be in possession of their firearm in restaurants where alcoholic beverages are sold (so long as you are not consuming alcohol) then do not sit there saying "The NRA will do it," "GOA will handle it," "Who is TFA?" - get off of your couch potato platform and make those calls. Keep calling until your legislator's name is On the List or they tell you that they will not support it. We know that Democratic Caucus Leader Kim McMillan and others who are like-minded to her do not believe you are mature or responsible enough to handle this change in the law. We need other legislators to show her she is wrong about us.

HB2225 by *Buck, *Hargett, *Stanley, *Pleasant, *Todd, *Lynn, *Maggart,
*Johnson P, *Newton, *McDaniel, *Harrison, *Overbey, *Johnson R, *Hill,
*Cochran, *Hawk, *Fraley, *West, *Gresham, *Hensley, *Mumpower, *Dunn,
*McKee, *Pinion, *McCord, *Niceley, *Matheny, *Strader.

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BillCompanionInfo.asp?BillNumber=HB2225

John Harris
Exec. Dir - TFA
 
Last edited:
(This is reprinted from a 4/8 Tenn. Firearms Assoc. email alert. - GSaber)

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION, INC.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE

Here is an email I received this morning. It is similar to many that I have
received from other TFA members although perhaps with more detail. Here we
see the forces that are at work against the gun owners of Tennessee and the
Second Amendment. Use this for your encouragement and fortification. Use
it as an example when you speak with your legislators to establish the fact
that only 3 Democrats in the State House are deciding whether Second
Amendment legislation ever reaches the House Floor for a vote.

-John Harris
TFA Exec. Dir.

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, April 07, 2005 11:16 PM
Subject: HB 2225


John - I hope that you will consider passing this email on to the entire TFA
member email list in hopes that it will help people understand why it is
essential they get actively involved concerning the passage of this bill.
The members need to understand that the opinions of handful of politicians
are deciding this important issue for the tens of thousand of gun owners in
Tennessee. As you are aware, I did as you requested in a recent email and
contacted my representative for the 95th District, Curry Todd to request
that he co-sponsor this bill. The 95th District encompasses most of
Germantown and Collierville, two suburbs of Memphis that that are
historically Republican. I was preaching to the choir talking to Rep. Todd
on this issue as he is very pro 2nd amendment.

I then began calling the members on the Constitutions Protections
Subcommittee. Three of the members (Sontany, Brooks and McMillian) are
Democrats and it is my understanding that these three are the reason why
bills similar to HB 2225 introduced in prior years have died in this
subcommittee. The only one of these three I was able to talk to was Rep.
Sontany from Nashville. When I asked her why she was against the bill, her
response was that alcohol and guns don't mix. I told her I agreed with her
on that point and that no one has any business consuming alcohol and
carrying a firearm. She then asked me "why would you go somewhere dangerous
where you would need a gun?" I explained to her that that there is no such
thing as a safe place anymore and that the present law is forcing honest law
abiding citizens to decide between breaking a law that is a Class A
misdemeanor (the most serious non-felony crime there is in Tennessee), or
choosing to carry a firearm that may make the difference between life or
death if confronted in the parking lot of a restaurant. I also advised Rep.
Sontany that two recent carjackings here in Memphis occurred in the parking
lots of grocery stores and both unarmed victims ended up with a bullet in
the head after their ATM cards no longer worked. The thugs then set fire to
the cars with the victims' bodies inside. Rep. Sontany was un-swayed from
her opposition to the bill, even when informed that the existing law
actually aids criminals in getting guns by forcing law-abiding permit
holders to leave their guns in their cars providing an opportunity for those
guns to be stolen while the permit carrier is dining inside the restaurant.

The only way this abhorrent situation will be resolved is if all gun owners,
whether permit holders or not, get involved and put pressure on their
representatives to co-sponsor this bill (the next bill may seek to classify
your favorite hunting rifle as an illegal sniper weapon). In particular,
TFA members who live in the districts represented by Brooks, McMillan and
Sontany (Memphis, Clarksville and Nashville) have got to make their opinions
known. If people choose not to get involved, then they have surrendered
their will as Tennesseans and Americans to three representatives who
apparently are not concerned about letting the will of the people prevail.
The Senate version of this bill has passed and the only question to be
answered now is whether the membership of the TFA is going to allow the
ill-founded opinions of three representatives who are apparently oblivious
to the concept of a representative democracy, decide this important issue
for all Tennesseans. If gun owners refuse to take the time to make a toll
free call to their representative to politely demand that their
representative co-sponsor this bill, then this bill will likely die in
committee again this year. If this occurs because we failed as a group to
get involved, then we will have no one to blame but ourselves.

Thanks for your efforts on all our behalves,

Scott Frick
Collierville, TN
 
Just spoke with Mike McDonald (D) Portland and Gallatin... he's on board, he's been trying to chase down Frank Buck so he can sign on as a co-sponsor.

I got mine! :D
 
Way to go, Steelharp!!! We especially need to get the Democratic legislators to sign on ESPECIALLY if you know that they ran as a pro-Second Amend. supporter in the last election.

Here is today's update, around 3 pm, from the Tenn. Firearms Association:

*********************************************************

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION, INC.
LEGISLATIVE ACTION COMMITTEE

I checked this afternoon on the status of the sponsors. I do not have all
the names at this time but the informal report is that we are up to 39
sponsors.


John Harris
Exec. Dir - TFA

********************************************************

Keep up the pressure. Sponsors will be added here:

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/bills/currentga/BillCompanionInfo.asp?BillNumber=HB2225

Golden Saber
 
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