Joel Ebert

jebert@tennessean.com

Permitless carry, eliminating gun-free zones and self-defense immunity are among the legislative priorities for the Tennessee Firearms Association for the upcoming legislative session, according to a newsletter the group sent out on Thursday.

John Harris, executive director of the association, cited the election of President-elect Donald Trump as evidence that there needs to be change in Tennessee while issuing a call to arms to his supporters.

"Tennessee's government leaders have created an undesirable swamp and Tennessee needs to be made great again," Harris said, after specifically calling out Gov. Bill Haslam, House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, and "others in the elite leadership of the state GOP" who "refused to support Trump's revolutionary train."

In the newsletter, Harris is asking Second Amendment supporters to turn up the heat on elected officials this session.

He called for passage of what has been dubbed "constitutional carry" — legislation that would allow someone to obtain and carry a gun without getting a permit or going through a background check.

Several states, including West Virginia and Missouri, have approved such legislation in recent years. Although a permitless carry bill was introduced during the 2016 legislative session in Tennessee, it failed to make it out of committee.

Permitless gun carry bill fails in Senate committee

Harris said that, despite a Republican supermajority and a "so-called Republican Governor," the issue has failed to gain traction in the state. "There is no just reason why Tennessee's supermajority of 'Republicans' have failed to pass it in the last six years."

Beyond permitless carry, Harris also is calling for the elimination of gun-free zones.

Although guns are allowed in many places in Tennessee, including on college campuses, some public parks and in bars and restaurants, others areas, such as sports arenas, have maintained bans.

While saying there should be almost no real estate in Tennessee where guns are prohibited, Harris conceded that he "might agree that a jail or prison probably should be gun free."

Harris also said the state needs to bolster it's self-defense immunity laws.

"In Tennessee, the idea of 'self-defense' is a technical defense that must be raised to a criminal charge of illegal use of force. That means, if you are forced to use a firearm to defend your family, you can still be arrested criminally prosecuted and forced to pay tens of thousands of dollars in attorney's fees just to prove that it was a justifiable self-defense shooting."

After naming several lawmakers, including Sens. Mark Green, R-Clarksville, Mae Beavers, R-Mt. Juliet, and Rep. Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, "constitutional stewards," Harris said, "The victories we saw on election night will be wasted if we don't translate them into pro-gun reforms."

In his newsletter, Harris did not mention any of the gun legislation that became law last year, including a measure sponsored by Rep. Andy Holt, R-Dresden, who was not mentioned in the newsletter, that allowed full-time employees at public colleges and universities to carry weapons on campus.

Haslam allows controversial guns on campus bill to become law

On Monday, House Majority Leader Glen Casada, R-Franklin, said he had yet to discuss forthcoming legislation with members. When asked about his potential support of legislation that would change the state's self-defense immunity laws, Casada said, "We’ve got a good stand your ground law. I would be curious what needs to be addressed there."

Casada also said he'd be "open minded" when it comes to permitless carry legislation.

In terms of Tennessee's gun laws, Casada said he thinks lawmakers have done a " good job of buttressing the Second Amendment."

As of publication, only three bills have been introduced by the General Assembly; none of them are related to guns. The General Assembly is set to convene on Jan. 10.

Reach Joel Ebert at 615-772-1681 and on Twitter @joelebert29.