Park Carry Bill Update?

[300winmag]

Are there any updates on the park carry bill?  I know it passed the state senate and has been transferred to the house.  Anything else?  Will there be a floor vote on this bill in the house?

[Sky King]

The Senate version of the bill has passed.  HOWEVER, while the House bill as introduced by Representative Tilman Goins, HB 1407 is the same as the Senate version, House Speaker Harwell, wants a provision to exempt any park that has a childrens playground. 

 

The bill, HB 1407 is scheduled to be heard in the House Civil Justice Sub-Committee on Wednesday, March 5th.  Any and all attempts to amend the bill to include an exemption for parks with a playground MUST BE STOPPED.  Such an exemption will create a back door path to allow cities and counties to continue to have their parks closed to permit holders.  All they have to do is spend a couple of hundred dollars at Home Depot for a swing set and instantly, their park has a playground and is AGAIN closed. 

 

Also a MAJOR step backwards, such an exemption could close to permit holders, all state parks which were open.  How many state parks do any of you know that DOES NOT have a playground area?  WELL HELLO, by having such a provision in the bill, previously open state parks will now be closed because they have a playground.

 

PLEASE contact the members of the House Civil Justice Sub-Committee and urge passage of HB 1407 AS INTRODUCED with NO exclusions for parks with playground areas.  IF the bill proceeds with such an amendment then it MUST be killed.

 

The following is the email I sent to Representative Goins:

 

Representative Goins

 

First I would like to say I am in support of your bill, HB1407 to remove the local opt-out provision in the parks carry law. As you likely know, the companion bill in the Senate by Stacy Campfield has passed. I noted that your bill is set to be heard this Wednesday, March 5th in the Civil Justice Sub-Committee.

 

Media coverage has indicated that Speaker Harwell would like to see a provision in the bill to exempt parks that have childrens play areas. Any attempt to amend your bill to include any such provision MUST BE STOPPED. Such a provision could be used by any municipality as a back door means to make their parks off limits to permit holders. The simple purchase of a play set at the Home Depot and suddenly your park has a childrens play ground. Also, the law as it now stands did NOT provide for any "opt-out" for any state or federal parks. However I know of no state parks that do NOT have a playground area. Thus IF this bill is amended to include such a provision, all parks with a play ground area will now be prohibited.

 

Such an amendment would be a MAJOR step backwards and I believe could be the "poision pill" for this legislation. IF such an amendment were to be made to this bill, I would have to urge it's defeat.

 

Thank you for introducing this important legislation. Please do all you can to keep it intact.

[bersaguy]

That bill  would make just about all parks GUN FREE ZONES and all the Perverts would have free rein in all parks around all the children with zero fear...........jmho

[daddyo]

I'm sorry, but this idea that children are somehow in danger just because someone is carrying a firearm is just idiotic. Beth Harwell needs to educate herself and stop being ignorant.

[EastTNMarksman]

"Mothers against women being able to defend themselves from rapists" recently held a press conference to push their agenda of keeping us from defending ourselves in parks: http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140228/NEWS/302280152/1972/NEWS02

 

Of course that got some coverage in the Tennessean. At least they admit in the article that the meeting was "lightly-attended". I wonder if the TFA were to hold a press conference in support of the bill if the Tennessean would cover that.

 

It drives me crazy how these people act like this bill would allow ANYONE to carry in parks. I wonder if they even realize that it only applies to people who have had to take a training class and a written and shooting test, and undergone fingerprinting and a background check. It seems like perfect "common sense" to me that the people this bill allows to carry are not going to be the next mass shooters, but might actually be someone that stops the next mass shooting.

 

I feel like we need to be on the offence here, holding our own press conferences and other things to get the actual facts out there in front of people. If some busybody soccer mom can get press coverage for her political agenda, why can't we?

[daddyo]

It drives me crazy how these people act like this bill would allow ANYONE to carry in parks. I wonder if they even realize that it only applies to people who have had to take a training class and a written and shooting test, and undergone fingerprinting and a background check. It seems like perfect "common sense" to me that the people this bill allows to carry are not going to be the next mass shooters, but might actually be someone that stops the next mass shooting.

 

This is how they treat campus carry as well. They keep talking as though any student will be able to carry on campus. Even if you correct them, they'll still make the same claim.

 

Idiots.

You know, maybe the reason they aren't having much impact is because the vast majority of Americans actually do have common sense and can see that the brand of "common sense" these nuts are selling is anything but.

Edited March 1, 2014 by daddyo

[300winmag]

It looks like the park carry bill passed the House subcommittee today.

[EastTNMarksman]

It looks like the park carry bill passed the House subcommittee today.

Great news!!

[Sky King]

It did pass the sub committee.  No mention of an amendment to prohibit carry in parks with childrens playgrounds.  Needless to say the expected rebuttal were about "safety of children" and the question about why we want to tell local communities they can not decide what they want for their parks.

[EastTNMarksman]

It did pass the sub committee.  No mention of an amendment to prohibit carry in parks with childrens playgrounds.  Needless to say the expected rebuttal were about "safety of children" and the question about why we want to tell local communities they can not decide what they want for their parks.

So what's the next step? Does it go to the full House for a vote now? If so, is it on the calendar yet?

[GKar]

I loved Stewart's comment "your constitutional argument aside'...yep, that's exactly where he'd like to place and keep the constitution (US and state).

 

Looks like it goes to full CJ committee next week.

Edited March 6, 2014 by GKar

[Mike.357]

Haslem is against it.   I am guessing he will veto.

[R_Bert]

Report from the Tennessean - TN lawmakers pull guns on Moms Demand Action

 

I call BS.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20140305/NEWS/303050180/Women-report-strange-encounters-Tennessee-lawmakers-gun-reform?nclick_check=1

[K191145]

Haslem is against it.   I am guessing he will veto.

 

Or just not sign it which we all know that after I think 10 days it will become law and make Haslam "appear" was was against it to appease the anti's and try not to p!ss off the pro's too much by not vetoing it. Like a good politician Haslam plays both sides, if he seems too anti-gun he would loose alot of votes, even though in reality he is anti-gun. I know I have brought this up time and time again but I will keep bringing it up because some people forget. Haslam as mayor of Knoxville was a card carrying member of Bloombergs Mayors Agagint Guns, that illegal part is in there just to fool naive soccer moms. In his heart, Haslam is an anti. If he was mayor of some New England city he would sign every anti-gun bill that came accross his desk.

[Sky King]

So what's the next step? Does it go to the full House for a vote now? If so, is it on the calendar yet?

The  vote yesterday was in the SUB committee.  It now has to go to the FULL committee.  THEN it would normally go to the Calendar And Rules Committee whose job it is to schedule it for the floor.  HOWEVER, in a response I got from the sponsor, Reb Goins, yesterday following the sub-committee vote, he said it has four more committees to go through.  He did  not say what they were and I can not think of what they may be.  The FULL committee and the Calendar and Rules Committee are only TWO more committee meetings, so I don't know what the other two may be.

 

In any case, I agree with the post about Haslam.  He has come out publically that he opposes this bill.  A veto from him would not surprise me but as one has said, he may just let it become law without his signature so as not to pi$$ off the pro gun folks. 

 

It think it is "amazing" (sic) how he cancelled his MAIG membership prior to his run for governor.  If Haslam is pro gun then I am Mother Teresa.

[JDH]

The smart move by Haslam would be to not sign it and straddle the fence, guess we'll see. I don't see why cities should be allowed to infringe 2A, our taxes pay for those parks.

Edit: Placed on cal. Civil Justice Committee for 3/12/2014. No amendments noted. Edited March 6, 2014 by JDH

[Mike.357]

I called Haslems mayoral office after he had announced candidacy for governor.  I told whoever answered that I wanted to know why he was in MAIG,

 

I was told some story that he had renounced his membership and that he in fact never actually joined,  Some ex-staff member had mistakenly signed him up, once he found out he left the organization.  I politely called BS and said I'd never vote for him.

 

I think he will veto.  If he does it would at least show that while misguided he has a spine.

[JDH]

Well if he does there"s still a chance he'll be overridden. What majority is required for that?

[Oh Shoot]

Well if he does there"s still a chance he'll be overridden. What majority is required for that?

 

Just simple majority of both House and Senate. One quirk, if legislature has adjourned, veto stands, so a bill would have to start over in next session.

 

- OS

[GKar]

Just simple majority of both House and Senate. One quirk, if legislature has adjourned, veto stands, so a bill would have to start over in next session.

 

- OS

BINGO!   Remember - leadership in both chambers has been consistently driving their intent for adjournment as quickly as possible. Got a ways to go here: somewhere between two and four House committees to go, with the last being Calendar (where we've seen bills die before  - last year, for example).  IF the House version does indeed make it to the floor UNAMENDED, and is approved there, it must then be reconciled to the Senate version, which has already been passed in the Senate as the AMENDED version.  IF that happens, and the bill makes it out UNAMENDED, it goes to the Gov for a possible veto - which will take several more days at minimum to overturn, assuming GA leadership has the stomach for it.  So, there's more than ample opportunity for the GA's rush to get home and campaign to bury this one.

[SithL0rd]

I see this was moved to the Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 3/12. Anyone have an update since?

[EastTNMarksman]

I see this was moved to the Finance, Ways & Means Committee on 3/12. Anyone have an update since?

That committee (Finance, Ways & Means) is hearing it today. Not sure if they already have.

[Guest Shooter00]

You can see the updates here:
http://www.nraila.org/legislation/state-legislation/2014/3/tennessee-pro-gun-bills-to-receive-committee-hearings-this-week.aspx

[JDH]

Says it was placed "Behind the Budget". No idea what that means though.

[EastTNMarksman]

Says it was placed "Behind the Budget". No idea what that means though.

Where do you see that? I believe that means it is put on hold until a way to pay for it is found. I'm not sure what in this bill would need to be paid for.