imported post
The State of Tennessee has a valid pro-Firearm Second Amendment Group currently.
The group is called: Tennessee Firearms Association!
The first thing the Tennessee State Legislature should do is repeal 39-17-1307(a), but leave 39-17-1307(b)... for violent felons only.
In Tennessee, you could be charged for walking home with a loaded rifle in plain view, and this is unheard of for a generally pro-Firearm State in The South. Many rural Law Enforcement Officers in Tennessee do not agree with this Law, but have no choice to enforce it. This needs to be changed to allow loaded open carry, with no permit requirement, so as long as the Person is a generally Law-abiding Citizen. Maybe, Tennessee could learn a thing or two from Kentucky, Virginia, or North Carolina... after all!
Next, they should also repeal 39-17-1359, so there is no Local Laws whatsoever that are grandfathered under Preemption. $500 dollar fines are a tall order in this economy, and if a property owner does not want Firearms on their property they should just tell the Person to leave... it is as simple as that. Also, this little Law is often times used to disallow Persons to carry at public buildings, etc., under threat of a $500 dollar fine if they do so. This is upsurd, because it allows for one more oppurtunity for Local Governments to put there two cents, so to speak, about Firearms notwithstanding State Preemption. Public Buildings are Public Property... there should be no fine, or no other Criminal Penalty, for carrying a Firearm there.
39-17-1314 ofThe Preemption Statue should be strenghend to disallow anyother grandfathered Local Law before April of 1986, and also they should do away with the opt out clause under current Law concerning Firearms and Local Parks.
There is no point in having Preemption if you give an exception, opt clause, or grandfather clause to every little thing. It defeats the purpose of even having preemption in the first place.