Senate Bill 309

[Guest trev054]

Senate Bill 309 has been slowed in passing due to the efforts of Bo Watson and Richard Floyd. This bill is an ammendment to the Gun Range Owners Protection Act and would allow a gun range that operated for over 39 years at its present location to reopen after being shut down by a local politician.

I coach a scholastic clays target team in Soddy Daisy, TN and our home course and practice facility is Montlake Classic Clays. The whole fiasco began because the current owners and neighbors had a clash of personalities and a couple of neighbors got together and sued to shut the range down because of noise. This is the equivalent of me moving next to the airport and then asking them to move the planes because they are too loud. Because of the good ol' boy network here, the neighbors pulled a county commissioner into the mix who effectively shut the range down.

There are alot more details that I could add and if you want to know more please contact me. But I would like to ask your help in emailing and calling the offices of Bo Watson and Richard Floyd and encouraging them to get this range back open.

thanks,

Trevor Fuller

sen.bo.watson@capitol.tn.gov

1-800-449-8366 ext. 13227

rep.richard.floyd@capitol.tn.gov

Phone (615) 741-2746

[Guest JHatmaker]

That's ridiculous, they knew what they were moving next to. It's one thing if all of a sudden a gun range pops up next door (actually that would be awesome), but this seems illegal somehow, unless the Range was breaking some sort of law.

Did his lawyers not fight it hard enough or was it a no-win situation?

Let me know the whole story so I know all the facts and I'll be happy to help out.

[Guest trev054]

Thanks for asking. i'll try not to get too long winded here, but it makes me so mad. An employee, who was a neighbor, worked at the gun club counter and was let go for drinking. Neighbors get together and sue out of anger citing noise. One of the other neighbors wants to sell his property and its worth more if the range is closed. Being a friend of county commissioner, they decide the range doesnt have the proper permits and cite them for being out of zone. Remember, this place has been there for 39 years.

The range gathers 1300 legal signatures of support and over 30 people take off of work to attend the zoning meeting. When it looks like the gun range has overwhelming support, the zoning meeting is canceled at the last minute.

The following week the same county commissioner proposes new gun range laws for existing gun clubs and the rules are written in a way no reasonable club could comply, and then shut the range down.

Andy Burke proposed sb309 (ammendment to gun range owners protection act) and it looks like it will pass when this same county commissioner gets in the ears of Richard Floyd and Bo Watson who are now stalling the measure.

Meanwhile, my shooters have had to stand by and watch this all unfold. Our nearest facility is 90 minutes away. Without Montlake, we really can't compete or grow as a team.

[I_Like_Pie]

It looks like things did, in fact, swing in favor of Montlake Clays! Woohoo

CLICK HERE

[GLOCKMEISTER]

wow.. I thought there was already a law on the books to prevent the shutting down of an existing gun range if it didnt involve safety?

[flyfishooltewah]

Every gunowner in Chattanooga has been upset over this, regardless of whether we use the range! Congrats to members of Montlake and thanks to Andy Burke!