Posted on 04/08/2021 8:54:35 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
If you’ve been wanting to tote a gun in the state of Tennessee, your options just got a little more…open.
On Thursday, Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill that’ll change things for firearms owners in The Volunteer State who’d like to keep their sidearm at their side.
The law — which takes effect July 1st — will allow both concealed and open carry without a permit.
Such a thing — as you may know — is often called “constitutional carry.”
Via Twitter, the governor thanked the state legislature as well as the National Rifle Association:
“I signed constitutional carry today because it shouldn’t be hard for law-abiding Tennesseans to exercise their #2A rights. Thank you, members of the General Assembly and @NRA, for helping get this done.”
I signed constitutional carry today because it shouldn’t be hard for law-abiding Tennesseans to exercise their #2A rights. Thank you members of the General Assembly and @NRA for helping get this done. pic.twitter.com/xv2ZenOEZq
— Gov. Bill Lee (@GovBillLee) April 8, 2021
As for details, Tennessee House Bill 786 — the Permitless Handgun Carry Bill — allows individuals 21 and older to carry handguns openly or in concealment without a carry license.
Military members aged 18-20 can do the same.
The legislation doesn’t cover long guns.
As you might imagine, not everyone in the legislature’s equally enthused.
The Tennesseean lays it out:
When the bill passed the House on March 29, Majority Leader William Lamberth, R-Portland, said it was “not the end of the journey” for expanding gun rights in Tennessee.
Democrats, however, were largely against the measure.
“It seems that more is never enough when it comes to gun laws in this state,” said Rep. Larry Miller, D-Memphis.
The bill also increases penalties for those who commit gun crimes.
The law boosts theft of a firearm from a misdemeanor to a felony and mandates six months of incarceration for the offense, up from the current 30-day sentence. It also bars felons convicted of possessing a firearm from early release.
And who won’t be benefitting from the new law? That would be convicted felons, those convicted of domestic violence or stalking, those committed by court to a mental institution, those with recent DUI convictions, and those who were otherwise already prohibited from acquiring a carry permit.
Gov. Bill’s administration estimates the law will cost the state up to $20 million per year.
That number’s derived from anticipated lost revenue from permits, plus an increase in incarceration.
Also predicted: 36,335 fewer annual handgun permit applications and renewals.
The law comes at an interesting time, when some say Nashville’s a hotbed for newly-arriving Democrats leaving left-wing hotbeds and bringing their politics with them.
Tennessee be comes the 18th state to pass such a law.
The others:
- Vermont
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Wyoming
- Maine
- Kansas
- West Virginia
- Idaho
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- New Hampshire
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Kentucky
- Arkansas
- Iowa
Not likely to be #19: California.
Every year, new pistols are released that are legal in most states EXCEPT California. That's one reason we're SUING to stop this senseless gun ban but we need YOUR SUPPORT! If you're as fed up with these restrictions as we are, text "ROSTER" to 888-444-8774 to help us REPEAL it! pic.twitter.com/Zd4bkQdG9I
— 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚜 𝙿𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚢 𝙲𝚘𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 (@gunpolicy) November 12, 2020
The bill to remove THREE handguns from California's Roster when a new gun is added has passed the Senate's Appropriations Committee. It now heads to the Senate floor. Take action at https://t.co/KDtL7NT2k7 pic.twitter.com/iCLwN7qAiU
— 𝙵𝚒𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚜 𝙿𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌𝚢 𝙲𝚘𝚊𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 (@gunpolicy) August 21, 2020
Either way, there’s no doubt much, much more related to guns we’ll soon be seeing in the news.
WATCH: President Biden announces nomination of David Chipman, a prominent gun control advocate, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; urges Congress to act on gun violence. pic.twitter.com/XY7jjfPVSn
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 8, 2021
President Biden: “For a fraction of the cost of gun violence, we can save lives, create safe and healthy communities, and build economies that work for all of us. And save billions of American dollars in the meantime.” pic.twitter.com/VcXmukafyF
— MSNBC (@MSNBC) April 8, 2021
Good for Tennessee.
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