NASHVILLE, TN – Today, Governor Bill Lee announced that he will be introducing legislation to allow permitless open and concealed carrying of firearms in public and increase penalties for theft of a firearm. In response, State Representative John Ray Clemmons (Nashville) issued the following statement:
I evaluate policy such as this through the eyes of my three little boys. I ask myself, “How will this affect my children and their classmates? How will this impact their daily lives now and in the future?” Lee’s permitless carry legislation would directly threaten the safety of my children, our schools, our neighborhoods, our cities, and every Tennessee family.
Lee’s legislation will have a direct negative impact on our local economy, the tourism industry that drives our city, and the economic engine from which this entire state benefits. There is also expected to be a sizeable fiscal note that will only serve to pull more money from public education and government services.
Ultimately, this stunt is nothing more than an ill-conceived, last-gasp attempt at political self-preservation by a struggling governor who has yet to find his footing. I do not appreciate Lee jeopardizing the safety of our children and families for purely selfish political reasons.
Governor Lee clearly does not understand what “criminal justice reform” actually means. Little to no reliable data exists to support Lee’s proposition that enhanced sentencing laws for firearm theft will reduce the criminal activity he is targeting. If Bill Lee actually wanted to reduce gun theft from motor vehicles, he would support the repeal of the “guns in trunks” laws that Bill Haslam signed.
Following the enactment of “guns in trunks” laws, firearm thefts from vehicles in Memphis increased 256% since 2013. Firearm thefts from autos in Nashville increased by 70% between 2016 and 2018. Between 2016 and 2017, gun thefts from autos increased statewide by 85%. The spike in gun thefts from autos directly correlates with dramatic increases in state firearm homicide rates. The firearm homicide rate per 100,000 people in Tennessee increased from 4.89 in 2013 to 7.40 in 2017, and firearm homicide deaths increased from 309 to 467 during the same period. Additionally, firearm injury rates per 100,000 people increased from 37.02 in 2013 to 47.53 in 2017.
While those of us serving in the legislature may interpret the Second Amendment differently, we all support the rights guaranteed by our forefathers. This was true when our state leaders designed and enacted the current permit system, which has worked well for decades, and it remains true today. For this reason, I vow to continue to work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to protect that system with the best interests and safety of my children and all Tennessee families in mind.
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State Representative John Ray Clemmons represents District 55 in the Tennessee House of Representatives. You can follow him on Twitter at @JRClemmons and Facebook at @johnrayfortn.
Source: Memphis-WMC, February 2019
Source: Metro Nashville Police Department, The Tennessean, Feb. 17, 2019.
Source: Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
Source: Safe Tennessee Project
Source: Tennessee Dept. of Health
