{"id":129293,"date":"2020-05-27T13:45:59","date_gmt":"2020-05-27T17:45:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=129293"},"modified":"2020-05-27T13:45:59","modified_gmt":"2023-09-06T19:33:23","slug":"tennessee-house-committee-approves-constitutional-carry-bill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/tennessee-house-committee-approves-constitutional-carry-bill\/","title":{"rendered":"Tennessee House Committee Approves Constitutional Carry Bill"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Tennessee
Gov. Bill Lee (Photo: Facebook<\/em>)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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A constitutional carry bill is on the move in the Tennessee House of Representatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This week, the House Judiciary Committee voted 16-7 in favor of House Bill 2817<\/a>, which would allow law-abiding residents to carry concealed firearms without a permit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Along with restoring one\u2019s right to keep and bear arms the way the founders and framers of our Constitution intended, HB 2817<\/a> would strengthen penalties for gun thieves.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under current law, gun theft is a misdemeanor crime with a 30-day mandatory jail sentence.\u00a0 The new legislation would up it to a felony charge with a six-month mandatory stay behind bars.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The bill, now headed to the Finance, Ways & Means Committee for further consideration, had the support of Gov. Bill Lee when it was introduced back in February.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The Second Amendment is clear and concise and secures the freedoms of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms,\u201d Lee said. \u201cI am pleased to announce Constitutional Carry legislation today that will protect the Second Amendment rights of Tennesseans, while also stiffening penalties on criminals who steal or illegally possess firearms.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, since the breakout of the novel coronavirus Lee has indicated that any legislation not focused on state finances would be put on the back burner. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“My priority is going to be on the state’s budget and making sure that we make the decisions that are going to best serve Tennesseans through this next particularly challenging economic period,” Lee said last month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE ALSO: Armed Alaska Man Foils Suspected Mass Murderer<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Memphis Police Director Michael Rallings testified on Tuesday in opposition to the bill.\u00a0 An Army Reservist, competitive shooter, and handgun instructor, Rallings believes that constitutional carry makes cities like Memphis \u201cless safe\u201d and police officers \u201cmore vulnerable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I am not against guns,” Rallings declared. “I am against illegal guns and guns being used against kids and to harm and kill law-abiding citizens.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added, “More guns, I’ve never seen it equal less crime.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Presumably, Rallings has never read the book \u201cMore Guns, Less Crime<\/a>\u201d by economist John Lott Jr.\u00a0 If he had, Rallings would recognize that crime goes down across the board after a state passes a permissive shall-issue concealed carry law.\u00a0 When more responsible Americans carry firearms for self-defense, crime actually goes down \u2014 not up. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to writing a tour de force on shall-issue laws, Lott has also studied the effects of constitutional carry laws.\u00a0 Before a Kentucky House Judiciary Committee last year<\/a> that was also considering permitless carry, Lott made the following points based upon his research:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n