Image Credit: Gov. Bill Lee / Facebook
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
Last week Rep. Bryan Richey (R- Maryville-District 20) wrote a letter addressed to Gov. Bill Lee, calling on him to cancel the special session on gun control legislation currently set for August.
The letter was signed by several Tennessee lawmakers including Representative Todd Warner (R-Chapel Hill-District 92) and Senator Janice Bowling (R-Tullahoma-District 16) but was quickly disowned by House Republican Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland-District 44).
“If our governor calls the legislature into a special session to discuss any issue,” read the statement from House Leadership, “the Republican caucus will certainly be ready, willing and able to debate the best way forward for our state.”
Gov. Lee also responded to the letter last Thursday in a statement given to News Channel 2 saying, “Let’s have a strong conversation. Let’s put ideas on the table.”
Even though the governor’s stance is clearly in opposition to his own political party, he still seems quite confident that by the time August rolls around Republican legislators will side with him or at the very least compromise.
“I mean, I think everyone certainly has opinions about this and feelings about this,” Lee said, “I certainly respect the thoughts and opinions of every lawmaker and have a great relationship with them and will continue to work together with them.”
Ultimately it seems the governor will continue to push his emergency relief protection order (ERPO) proposal as long as he can, even though many Republicans recognize it as a red flag law.
“At the end of the day, the General Assembly will decide the path forward here,” Lee continued, “I think that we have an obligation and an important responsibility to have the conversation and bring forth the ideas.”
Some believe Lee’s ERPO will end up gaining enough traction to pass in the Senate since Lt. Gov. and Senate Speaker Randy McNally has made his stance quite clear.
“I support the governor, and I think his proposal was on target,” McNally said.
When asked specifically about Senate support for the legislation the Lt. Gov. went on to say, “I think right now, it probably wouldn’t pass, […] but given a little time, let people think about it, they get back home, they interact with the everyday folks that are back home.”
Luckily, on the House side of things Rep. Richey seems determined to fight Gov. Lee’s proposal, especially after hearing from his constituents on the matter.
“I got contacted by a bunch of folks there in my district saying that this is completely uncalled for,” he said. “Then, when you look at the financial impact on Tennesseans when it comes to taxpayer dollars to hold this special session, it’s ridiculous.”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee. You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
16 Responses
It’s smart to throw the Libs a bone to take away their argument that Repubs are extremists. If they take control we’re totally screwed. If someone is crazy and their family says they are, they should NOT have a gun – that’s common sense. Ignoring Common Sense is a bad idea because most people agree with Common Sense. The way I read it, the bill would only take guns from someone whose family or the police say is crazy. If you aren’t crazy, don’t worry about it.
You’re a sick, leftist, Christian hating pervert. You aren’t fooling anyone.
What would be the parameters for this family member or a police officer to determine if someone is crazy? ( Funny, that they want to defund police but it’s ok to let them decide who is crazy). Can you not see how this could be used as a weapon against someone to take away their right to own a firearm? (ex: divorce, revenge, framing) It’s a slippery slope and never in the favor of people keeping their rights. Has anyone in your circle that ever had to take an anti-depressant for any reason or even for a short period of time? What about gone for counseling? That all would fall under their “crazy” definition. Just think of all the veterans alone that could possibly affect. Now give that some really serious thought and consideration.
Haven’t you ever wondered why you get asked those mental health/do you own gun questions now at doctor’s offices when filling out forms? They never asked those type of questions back in the day. Why now? What has changed? What is the real purpose of those questions?
Your reasoning tells it like it is!
You had better read the law. ANYONE that has a grievance against you (ex-spouse, coworker, neighbor etc.) can make the accusation and you’re screwed. This is clearly “guilty until proven innocent”. If you’re comfortable with this, move to a blue state.
It’s not that simple. Are you qualified to determine if someone is insane? You cannot seize property without due process. This would open the door for disgruntled spouses and others to falsely accuse someone of mental instability just for harassment. If someone is adjudicated insane by a course, of course they should not have a firearm, knife, or anything else that could be used as a weapon. But they must have their day in court before their second Amendment rights are infringed upon.
Actually, you are incorrect. Tennessee has civil asset forfeiture where law enforcement can take your property on “suspicion” without you being charged. And they don’t give it back until you’ve spent thousands and tens of thousands on attorneys fighting it out in court. We’ve been trying to get that law removed for years.
Problem with this is then anyone can accuse you of being crazy whether you are or not! This is a gun grab plain and simple!
If someone’s family are lucifer’s dimmercraps…
Your well intended, un-thought through, supposed common sense is NOT.
You “think” like dimmercraps do.
All this will ever be used for is for leftist terrorist Karens to get conservative Christians’ guns taken away. It will be used as a form or harassment and to disarm Christians so they can’t defend themselves from deranged perverts like the one who murdered 6 Christians.
Bill Lee is a Christian hating, pervert loving RINO traitor who loves that pervert who murdered Christians as it gives him an excuse to further disarm Christians and take away their ability to defend themselves, making the deranged violent perverts more emboldened.
When you see one of those Lee Company trucks with their logo on the side, remember that’s the symbol of a violent, anti-Christian hate group.
With RINOs like Bill Lee and Sam Whitson around, violent anti Christian hate groups, Antifa, and Sorros can sleep comfortable and happy.
There are 25,000+- pieces of sensible firearms regulation on the books.
Most written and made law by sensible Social Democrats.
One should ask, which of these sensible regulations, created by sensible Social Democrats, are no longer sensible?
The Common Sense Law term is a smoke screen moniker.
Individuals such as Lenin, Stalin and Hitler called the same actions common sense.
The educated World know where that common sense led the World to.
Governor Lee reminds me of Kevin McCarthy. He claims to represent the party but actually has zero respect for the voice of the people. He needs the “Budweiser Beer/Target Department Store Treatment”! If he can’t align with his constituents, he should be voted out. RINOs are worse than the DemonRats. They’re sneaky bastards.
The anti-self-defense folks want you to believe the people committing crimes with guns come from one enormous pool of all people who possess a firearm legally and illegally. As if all people who possess guns pose the same risk. As if the crime is about the gun, not the criminal. Sprinkle in a Soros funded judicial system and you have christian conservatives or anyone that stands with our constitution “mentally ill”. Keep in mind TN is ushering in “mental health evaluations” in schools so if your kid acts up they blame parents and there goes your constitutional rights to protect yourself and your family.
The Biden Administration has been pushing RFL/ERPO since inauguration. The DOJ pushes RFL/ERPO to the states as an objective via the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant program. Non-governmental organizations such as the National Governors’ Association & National Council of State Legislatures (to say nothing of the American Medical Association, American Psychological Association, American Bar Association, etc) provide policy recommendations supportive of RFL/ERPO. This isn’t about Covenant; Covenant was the triggering event for something that has been in the works for a very long time. Other posters are 100% correct, this is about letting the camel’s nose into the tent. We will rue the day this is passed into law.
I have called and written all my representatives and the Govenor about these unconstitutional laws. All I have left to say is that I will work very hard to make sure those in favor of Red Flag laws never serve our state again.
Buy Ammo
Pay Ca$h.
The FBI gun purchase background check database is illegal. The law states that this information is supposed to auto-delete in 90 days from date of purchase.
That’s what we need to aim at.
There is only one reason a government agency creates a database.
CONTROL