Tim Nunan

Just wear your "I'm the NRA and I vote" button. :-)

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. Legislative Action Committee Apparently without notice ascertainable from the State's web site, the House Judiciary had a "Handgun Study Committee" meeting on Thursday February 19, 2009. Rep. McCord, during the meeting which was video taped, stated that this study committee had been in existence for approximately 11 years and that it has been studying these bill issues and generating reports. I have yet to see any of these reports. One aspect of this that is troubling is the fact that there is no notice or agenda for the meeting. For example, if you pull up the legislative web page for HB0962 (restaurant carry) at http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/default.aspx?BillNumber=HB0962 there is no mention of the bill being assigned to a study committee, there is no evidence that the bill was considered in a study committee on February 19, there is no evidence of the printed "amendment" that they discussed, nor is there is evidence of a report or recommendation on the bill itself. In addition, it is clear from comparing the video to the version of the bill that is on the state's web site that they are not discussing the same language. The committee video is obtained at this link: http://tnga.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=88&clip_id=314 The committee was chaired by Rep. Joe McCord (R. Maryville) Other members included Rep. Curry Todd (R. Collierville), Rep. Mike Stewart (D. Nashville), Rep. Harry Tindell (D. Knoxville), and Rep. Ulysses Jones (D. Shelby). The purpose of the committee was to generate a "committee report". They focused on 4 bills. These were restaurant carry, confidentiality list, wildlife management carry and state parks carry. Restaurant Carry. HB0962 Much discussion on this issue and the problem in the minds of some of these legislators is again "what is a bar?" The issue they want to focus on is either how to define a bar or how to impose limits that would preclude people from being in restaurants during times that they think are indicative of "bar" and "tavern" problems. Rep. McCord proposed 2 routes to be used in combination to address the "bar" issue. TFA opposes both by the way. First, Rep. McCord discusses an outright ban after a certain time in the evening (proposed from 9pm to 11pm). The second part of the bill would ban possession if the establishment is "age restricted" - that is whether the place requires proof of age to enter the establishment. Rep. Todd stated that he wanted no frame but that an 11pm time frame would be better if there has to be a time frame. Rep. McCord added in to clarify that if the restaurant started carding prior to the time cutoff, then it would automatically become a restricted property which means people would have to get up and leave. Rep. Stewart said that he felt the 11pm deadline was too late and he recommended 9pm (that shows a lot of trust in gun owners now doesn't it?). Finally, Rep. Todd moved to make the cutoff 11pm which carried on a voice vote. They also discussed what the law should be relative to a hotels (e.g., Opryland) that have restaurants. Rep. Todd expressed the belief that any such hotel is completely off limits, presumably even in the private rooms, but Rep. McCord suggested that this issue be deferred to the full committee. Confidentiality of Records HB0959 The "Commercial Appeal" poster child. Recommended without debate. Parks HB0960 Rep. McCord notes that the federal government change encourages this change in the law. Rep. Jones asked about city parks. Recommended without debate. Wildlife Management Areas HB0961 Similar to the parks bill. Recommended without debate. Although we have been unable to locate a calendar for the week of February 23, it was announced at the close of the committee meeting that all the "gun bills" would be in the House Judiciary Criminal Practices committee meeting on Wednesday, February 25. NOW IS THE TIME TO CALL PARTICULARLY ON THE RESTAURANT ISSUE. Call YOUR House Members. You can look them up at this link: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/house/members/ The principal issue of concern on this list is that this study committee is recommending restrictions on the restaurant bill which we have historically opposed. It is obvious that some House members are in favor of severe restrictions through time limits (e.g., 9pm to 5am) on the restaurants if they support the legislation. They also want to impose restrictions based on whether the restaurant is "age restricted". TFA historically opposes any such restrictions because the permit holder remains subject to the no consumption rule. For example, what would be the consequence at a New Year's Eve party - are permit holders going to be required to leave by 9pm, 10pm etc.? Also, what happens if its a busy night - say Valentines - and you get to the restaurant early but there is an hour wait, and then there are delays in the food delivery. Do you have to get up and leave to disarm yourself if the time runs out? Well, based on the comment by Rep. McCord that "carding" would trigger an immediate status change (even if you were unaware) then presumably Rep. McCord would also state that if your meal was delayed past the 9, 10 or 11pm cutoff that you would have to leave the premises or at least leave long enough to disarm and secure your weapon in your vehicle (if you drove). These types of restrictions are clear evidence that there are still many members of the Tennessee General Assembly who just simply do not want to trust handgun permit holders to behave. We don't need curfews and restrictions and we need to make sure they know that! John Harris Executive Director

Update; Reciprocity being reviewed, all still vaild for now: http://attorneygeneral.state.wy.us/dci/CWP.html Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Concealed Firearm Permits By statute, Wyoming honors concealed carry permits from other states that have laws similar to Wyoming’s. The Wyoming Attorney General’s Office is undertaking a thorough review of the concealed carry statutes of the 49 other states to determine which states have laws similar to Wyoming’s. Once that review is complete, this website will feature a list of the states from which Wyoming will honor concealed carry permits. Until then, the Division of Criminal Investigation will honor permits from those states with which Wyoming had reciprocity as of January 1, 2009. Accordingly, Wyoming will continue to recognize concealed firearm permits from the following states. The listing also encompasses those states that have indicated they honor Wyoming permits. Alaska Louisiana Oklahoma Alabama Michigan Pennsylvania Colorado Mississippi South Carolina Florida Montana South Dakota Georgia New Hampshire Tennessee Idaho New Mexico Texas Indiana Ohio Utah Kentucky For permit qualifications or additional information please click on the links below: Frequently Asked Questions Wyoming Concealed Firearms Permit Statute It is extremely important for all concealed firearm permit holders to be aware of the requirements and laws of all states. The permit issued by your state does not supersede any other state’s laws or regulations. Legal conduct in your state may not be legal in the state you are visiting. Wyoming residents who plan to visit another state with their Wyoming permits, and who also plan to carry a concealed firearm while visiting that state, are urged to contact that state before traveling. This will allow residents to determine all restrictions or prohibitions regarding the carrying of concealed firearms in those states, as well as their laws regarding firearms and weapons in general. Most of these states have web pages dedicated to this subject. State firearms laws and reciprocity agreements are subject to frequent change, and furthermore, are subject to court interpretation. Information contained on this page is not to be considered legal advice. You should always contact an attorney licensed to practice law in your state for any legal advice. Rev: 02-19-2009

Should post CA's personnel personal data on all of the Commercial Appeal's competitors. Heck post it on every paper across the state with a brief explanation why.

Using a phrase like "puppy mills" is a red herring. For those like H$US it means anyone who breds no matter how many dogs one owns. That is their agenda... do away with animal explotation which they define as any use of animals. H$U$ is merely PETA in suits. This bill will include rescue groups and force them to be considered a commerical operation. As I stated the devil is in the details and H$U$ certainly knows how to manage the details while looking so "fair". I posted this here specifically because of the potential impact on breeders of hunting dogs. Those who own a gun dog should consider whether they'll be able to get one from the same kennel if it has to be licensed as a commerical breeder as defined in this bill.

House Bill 386, sponsored by Rep. Janis Baird Sontany (D-53), and its companion legislation, Senate Bill 258, sponsored by Sen. Doug Jackson (D-25), would place the hobby breeding of purebred dogs under criminal animal cruelty statutes and set severe limits on dog ownership. These bills were introduced Monday, Feb. 9, 2009. While this legislation is called the "Commercial Breeder Act," in reality it ensnares many hobbyists, trainers and handlers in their net. These bills are typical of HSUS-promoted legislation, which misrepresents its true purpose. The legislation defines a "commercial breeder" as "any person who possesses or maintains twenty (20) or more adult female dogs in whole or in part for the purpose of the sale of their offspring as companion animals." The words "in part" means that breeding even one female makes a kennel owner a commercial breeder, and the inclusion of the words "possesses or maintains" entraps many professional trainers, handlers, private rescue networks, hound pack owners, boarding kennels and hunt clubs in the definition. Here are some of the provisions: Anyone who meets the definition of a commercial breeder must be licensed and inspected, and comply with complex regulations for the care and housing of dogs. License fees will be costly - $500 annually for up to 40 dogs, $1,000 annually for more. No one can own more than 75 dogs. This includes partnerships, companies and corporations, as well as individuals. A dog or cat cannot be euthanized, except by a licensed veterinarian. This provision will cause great suffering in severely injured or ill dogs when a veterinarian cannot be located. To be eligible for a license, state officials must investigate and pass judgment on a person?s "character," and also on the suitability of the kennel's location. Licenses can be suspended or revoked for several reasons. A hearing is provided only through the Department of Agriculture, not to the courts. State inspectors have unlimited access to the home, facilities and property of anyone who owns a licensed kennel, or an unlicensed kennel. Constitutional requirements for search warrants and probable cause would be trampled. The state would be given unlimited power to confiscate animals from noncompliant kennels, and could enter into cooperative agreements with local, statewide or national animals rights groups such as HSUS. The kennel owner would have to post a bond to cover the cost. Real estate and personal property could be required as security for the bond. Civil penalties of up to $1,000 each would multiply for every offense, and no limit would be placed on the total of accumulated citations and penalties for each dog or situation involved. Please read this legislation for yourself: http://www.capitol.tn.gov/ Bills/106/Bill/HB0386.pdf.

Just a heads-up that H$U$ has already started on their agenda to get more state laws passed restricting your rights as an animal owner. Wasn't sure whether to post this here or in the Hunting forum. Several bills now submitted will impact those with hunting dogs, e.g., SB0258, SB0391. Get involved and let your state legislator know how you feel about these restrictions. As with everything dealing with the extremists the devil is in the details; they do know how to manipulate an issue. H$U$ has a TN lobbist: Leighann McCollum, Tennessee State Director lmccollum@humanesociety.org (615) 734-9537 Tim NOTE: The Feb. lobbying days for each individual state are posted at: http://www.hsus.org/legislation_laws/citizen_lobbyist_center/lobby_101_schedule.html http://tinyurl.com/cc5jkx The dates for March and April are found here: https://community.hsus.org/humane/event-calendar.html

TANSTAAFL -There ain't no such thing as a free lunch - Robert Heinlein

Tennessee Firearms Association, Inc. Legislative Action Committee A few quick updates The Tennessee legislative bill cutoff is Thursday, Feb. 12 for the Senate. If you are working with any Senators on legislation, make sure that a bill or bills on your issues are introduced by Thursday. I have seen already drafts of more than 50 bills on 2nd Amendment issues and I expect the total bill filings for all bills will jump by more than a thousand this week. John Harris Executive Director

Also: SB 0172 HB 0221* (Full Text) Confidentiality of handgun carry permit applications. Makes confidential information pertaining to handgun carry permits relative to public inspection or publication. Authorizes law enforcement agencies to access such information for investigating or prosecuting purposes. Specifies that publication of such information by anyone other than the permit holder is a Class A misdemeanor punishable by fine only. (S: Ketron; H: Bass)

Ronald Reagan, President of the United States: "Some people live an entire lifetime and wonder if they've ever made a difference in the world. Marines don't have that problem."

Unfortunately with Alexander, Corker and the other RINO's it is very possible that this phoney ban will return; this time without the sunset provision.

I am not surprised by either Alexander or Corker voting to confirm. Alexander has been a gun rights disappointment for a long time.

This was discussed and resolved here: http://www.tfaonline.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=260 From: "TDOT Comments" <TDOT.Comments@state.tn.us> To: <johnharris@tennesseefirearms.com> Cc: "E.Sue Melton" <E.Sue.Melton@state.tn.us> Sent: Tuesday, December 09, 2003 11:41 AM Subject: Re: Tennessee Rest Stops Mr. Harris: In a recent effort to post signs reminding our employees about the TDOT policy prohibiting firearms in the workplace for safety reasons, signs were inadvertently placed in Welcome Centers and Rest Areas in Tennessee. As soon as this matter was brought to our attention, the signs were ordered removed from all Welcome Centers and Rest Areas.

The February meeting is scheduled on Tuesday, February 17, 2009, Meeting time is 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 pm Please arrive early (I reserve the room starting at 5:30) to order, eat and socialize as possible. Location: Interstate Drive Shoneys in the meeting room. This is the Shoneys next to the Titan's stadium right across from the Gerst House. At this time we are talking with State Representative Eddie Bass as a possible guest speaker. Rep. Bass is a retired Tennessee sheriff and has been assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. We are anticipating an interesting talk about what Tennessee's firearms owners can and should expect from a Republican controlled General Assembly You do not have to be a TFA member to attend nor do you have to be a resident of Nashville. Everyone is welcome and encourage to bring guests - even spouses. I want to encourage each of you to bring someone with you to the meeting who has not been to one or been to one recently. There's no cost to come (unless you eat) and Tuesday nights are rather slow unless you are planning to go watch the Metro Council debate raising our taxes. Come a little early and have time for dinner, or just coffee and pie.

The February meeting of the Tennessee Firearms Association Lakeway Chapter will be held on Tuesday evening, the 17th of February, 2009 Gary Douthat Will present the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Our meeting place is the Shoneys Family Restaurant at 1933 West Andrew Johnson Highway (Hwy 11E), Morristown TN.This restaurant is located 1/2 block east of the West Andrew Johnson highway (Hwy 11E) and Morris Blvd intersection, more or less across from the Home Depot. There is a large, highly visible sign in front along with plenty of parking space. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6 PM to 7 PM during which you may want to eat dinner. The meeting will begin promptly at 7 PM and end at 8 PM. Opportunity will be given to ask questions related to the topic. Membership is not required - gun owners, 2nd Amendment supporters, and interested public are urged to attend. For more information contact Bill Kaylor 423 586 9121/email w9dsm@charter.net or Tim Nunan 423-586-8459/email bentcreek@outdrs.net.

Surely that newspaper would publish opposing views

Some letters to the Elizabethton Star: http://www.starhq.com/news/html/news/allarticles.asp?cat=letters

TENNESSEE FIREARMS ASSOCIATION KNOXVILLE CHAPTER THE FEBRUARY MEETING WILL BE HELD ON TUESDAY EVENING FEBRUARY 3, 2009 Our guest speaker is 1st. Lieutenant Art Douglass from the 228 Combat Communications Squadron at McGee Tyson AFB. He will give us insight into their mission with the Tennessee Air National Guard. This meeting will he held at The IHOP restaurant, in front of Lowe’s, on Chapman Highway at the intersection of John Sevier Highway in South Knoxville. A pre-meeting social hour is from 6 PM to 7 pm during which you may wish to eat dinner. The meeting will begin at 7 PM and end at 8 PM. Participation by those in attendance is always encouraged. Gun owners, persons involved in the shooting sports, Second Amendment supporters and interested public are urged to attend, YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A MEMBER TO ATTEND. For more information contact: Bill Noll; wsnoll@comcast.net 865-688-0321 or Charlie Thoms; Cthoms43@aol.com 865-233-4561

I believe that Governor Patterson plans on running again and well be facing Andrew Cumo and wants the votes from up state NY which is much more conservative than NYC.

As I recall the British advance on Lexington was to confiscate the colonists' guns. Seems that turned out favorable to the pro gun cause.

Good question and might be asked at the next meeting if/when the shooting issue comes up again. But then just asking might give them ideas to rewrite the A-1 zoning "permissable/prohibited" uses. With the establishment of a new pistol range, albeit used only for HCP shooting, some of the county officials have revealed their feelings about lawful shooting if not gun ownership.

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/billtext.xpd?bill=h111-17 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ?Citizens? Self-Defense Act of 2009?. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. The Congress finds the following: (1) Police cannot protect, and are not legally liable for failing to protect, individual citizens, as evidenced by the following: (A) The courts have consistently ruled that the police do not have an obligation to protect individuals, only the public in general. For example, in Warren v. District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department, 444 A.2d 1 (D.C. App. 1981), the court stated: ?[C]ourts have without exception concluded that when a municipality or other governmental entity undertakes to furnish police services, it assumes a duty only to the public at large and not to individual members of the community.?. ( Former Florida Attorney General Jim Smith told Florida legislators that police responded to only 200,000 of 700,000 calls for help to Dade County authorities. © The United States Department of Justice found that, in 1989, there were 168,881 crimes of violence for which police had not responded within 1 hour. (2) Citizens frequently must use firearms to defend themselves, as evidenced by the following: (A) Every year, more than 2,400,000 people in the United States use a gun to defend themselves against criminals--or more than 6,500 people a day. This means that, each year, firearms are used 60 times more often to protect the lives of honest citizens than to take lives. ( Of the 2,400,000 self-defense cases, more than 192,000 are by women defending themselves against sexual abuse. © Of the 2,400,000 times citizens use their guns to defend themselves every year, 92 percent merely brandish their gun or fire a warning shot to scare off their attackers. Less than 8 percent of the time, does a citizen kill or wound his or her attacker. (3) Law-abiding citizens, seeking only to provide for their families? defense, are routinely prosecuted for brandishing or using a firearm in self-defense. For example: (A) In 1986, Don Bennett of Oak Park, Illinois, was shot at by 2 men who had just stolen $1,200 in cash and jewelry from his suburban Chicago service station. The police arrested Bennett for violating Oak Park?s handgun ban. The police never caught the actual criminals. ( Ronald Biggs, a resident of Goldsboro, North Carolina, was arrested for shooting an intruder in 1990. Four men broke into Biggs? residence one night, ransacked the home and then assaulted him with a baseball bat. When Biggs attempted to escape through the back door, the group chased him and Biggs turned and shot one of the assailants in the stomach. Biggs was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon--a felony. His assailants were charged with misdemeanors. © Don Campbell of Port Huron, Michigan, was arrested, jailed, and criminally charged after he shot a criminal assailant in 1991. The thief had broken into Campbell?s store and attacked him. The prosecutor plea-bargained with the assailant and planned to use him to testify against Campbell for felonious use of a firearm. Only after intense community pressure did the prosecutor finally drop the charges. (4) The courts have granted immunity from prosecution to police officers who use firearms in the line of duty. Similarly, law-abiding citizens who use firearms to protect themselves, their families, and their homes against violent felons should not be subject to lawsuits by the violent felons who sought to victimize them. SEC. 3. RIGHT TO OBTAIN FIREARMS FOR SECURITY, AND TO USE FIREARMS IN DEFENSE OF SELF, FAMILY, OR HOME; ENFORCEMENT. (a) Reaffirmation of Right- A person not prohibited from receiving a firearm by Section 922(g) of title 18, United States Code, shall have the right to obtain firearms for security, and to use firearms-- (1) in defense of self or family against a reasonably perceived threat of imminent and unlawful infliction of serious bodily injury; (2) in defense of self or family in the course of the commission by another person of a violent felony against the person or a member of the person?s family; and (3) in defense of the person?s home in the course of the commission of a felony by another person. ( Firearm Defined- As used in subsection (a), the term ?firearm? means-- (1) a shotgun (as defined in section 921(a)(5) of title 18, United States Code); (2) a rifle (as defined in section 921(a)(7) of title 18, United States Code); or (3) a handgun (as defined in section 10 of Public Law 99-408). © Enforcement of Right- (1) IN GENERAL- A person whose right under subsection (a) is violated in any manner may bring an action in any United States district court against the United States, any State, or any person for damages, injunctive relief, and such other relief as the court deems appropriate. (2) AUTHORITY TO AWARD A REASONABLE ATTORNEY?S FEE- In an action brought under paragraph (1), the court, in its discretion, may allow the prevailing plaintiff a reasonable attorney?s fee as part of the costs. (3) STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS- An action may not be brought under paragraph (1) after the 5-year period that begins with the date the violation described in paragraph (1) is discovered.

When it comes to political discourse and campaign rhetoric on Second Amendment Rights, there are two events that have shaped the current landscape more than any others: the 1994 mid term elections and the 2000 Presidential election. In 1994, gun owners turned out in record numbers to send a message to the Clinton Administration that the gun bans and the anti-gun laws they had pursued were unacceptable. And in 2000, Vice President Al Gore lost because his position on guns was unacceptable to voters in states that had been reliable for his party for decades. The result was a watershed change in American politics, and a change in the way many anti-gun politicians campaign. Rather than talk openly about their desire to ban guns, register gun owners and regulate firearms sales, anti-gun politicians talk about their “support†for sportsmen. Rather than admit they oppose the individual right protected by the Second Amendment, they claim they “support firearms ownership for hunting.†This is all an effort to mislead and divide the gun owning community and to dilute gun owners’ political impact. Anti-gun activists want to ensure that 1994 and 2000 never happen again. To achieve their goals they have created new organizations with names designed to confuse gun owners and hide the real agenda. The American Hunters and Shooters Association (AHSA) is one of those groups. AHSA was created with the specific intent to provide political cover for anti-gun politicians by allowing them to claim support from a “sportsmen’s†group. In truth, the anti-gun credentials of AHSA’s leadership is well documented. For instance, AHSA president Ray Schoenke has a long history of giving political donations to some of the most anti-gun politicians, including Al Gore, John Kerry, Barbara Boxer, Bill Clinton, Dianne Feinstein and Ted Kennedy. In 2000, Schoenke donated $5,000 to Handgun Control, Inc. (now the Brady Campaign) and the Ray and Holly Schoenke Foundation also made donations to the Brady Campaign. AHSA Board member John Rosenthal remains the leader of Stop Handgun Violence, the Massachusetts anti-gun group. And one of the leading organizers of AHSA is Bob Ricker, who has been a paid expert witness against gun manufacturers in a number of reckless lawsuits. For more information, see http://www.nraila.org//Issues/FactSheets/Read.aspx?ID=232

There is currently no county ordinance limiting shooting in the A-1 zone. This was stated "...in my opinion...". Since this is the County Attorney the Hamblen County commissioners and the Planning Commission members put a lot of faith in Mr. Cantwell's opinion.