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Neighbors:
It’s working. I spent two days at the capitol last week, and the phones were ringing like crazy in support of gun reform. The last three weeks have been an exhausting blur, I know, and I hope you’re hanging in there OK, but please take comfort in the fact that lawmakers are on alert that the people of this state are sick of kids getting shot and are demanding change. We just have to keep up the pressure.
Here’s my biggest advice: I showed up to the Cordell Hull Building last week without an appointment and dropped by lawmakers’ offices unannounced and asked for meetings. And it worked! You can, and should, do the same. You own that office building—it’s yours as a Tennessee resident—and, if you pop into your rep’s office and ask to be squeezed in between meetings, lawmakers will often accommodate you. Tuesday and Wednesday mornings are best, given the legislative schedule. If you can spare the time to drive down to the capitol, please do. Bring a friend and a book (because you might have to wait) and demand action. (FWIW: Parking at the Nashville Library garage is pretty reasonable.)
***BREAKING***: Just as I was about to hit send on this email, The Tennessean broke the news that Governor Bill Lee will sign an executive order strengthening background checks for gun purchases, and he’s calling on lawmakers to pass an order-of-protection (aka red-flag) law. Like I said, it’s working!
OK, moving on to our local lawmakers. Here’s the gist of my two meetings:
[1] Two Lawmakers, Two Wildly Different Policy Positions
Sam Whitson: I spent 45 minutes with Sam Whitson, Franklin’s avuncular House representative, and he’s absolutely in favor of serious gun reform. He’s ex-military, has seen some gruesome stuff, and believes we need to reduce the number of guns on the street. Some of you might ding him points for not voting against the motions to expel Justin Jones and Justin Pearson last week. (Whitson abstained.) But my view is that, all told, we’re lucky to have Mr. Whitson. But he needs to speak out more—a lot more—because he’s a reasonable man surrounded by a bunch of, well, … you watched the expulsion hearings, right? I would encourage you to set up a time to meet with him in person. If you’re a constituent, he’ll do it. His email: rep.sam.whitson@capitol.tn.gov. Be sure to mention you live in Franklin if that’s true. (He’s in Suite 552 in Cordell Hull if you drop by.)
Jack Johnson: I met with Jack Johnson, the Senate majority leader, on Wednesday, and, I must say, it went horribly. He started out by attacking me for some emails I’d written to him over the years, but I’ll spare you the details on that. The big takeaways from our conversation:
Johnson said lawmakers are considering whether the state should forcibly institutionalize more people suffering a mental crisis as a way to combat mass shootings. The state has gotten away from that model, Johnson said, but it was time to return to it. This, incredibly, seems to be one of lawmakers’ leading ideas about how to prevent mass shootings. He also told me that he opposed any law that would make it an iota harder to buy or possess a gun, since he views any such measure as an infringement on people’s Second Amendment right, never mind the tremendous irony of his willingness to institutionalize a bunch of folks. Talk about rights, amirite.
Johnson co-sponsored the bill to allow Tennesseans to carry a concealed weapon in public without a permit. (Such laws have led to a 11% uptick in gun homicides in some states.) But what’s really wild was that, in our meeting, Johnson said twice that he would continue to support permitless concealed carry even if his Williamson County constituents opposed it. And, as I pointed out on Twitter, Williamson County residents do oppose such laws. In 2017, Republican Glen Casada—yes, that Glen Casada—polled WilCo voters on gun issues, and they overwhelmingly objected to open carry, permitless carry, and relaxing gun laws. (Survey here.) The cherry on top: Johnson told me that he recently encouraged one of his children to complete the state’s eight-hour safety course to obtain a concealed carry permit; that way, he said, his child would understand the law and get the proper training to carry a weapon. Well, too bad Johnson doesn’t think the average Tennessean would benefit from similar instruction.
Please email and call the heck out of Johnson and tell him to support a real-deal ERPO law and to repeal Tennessee’s reckless permitless concealed-carry law. And try to schedule a meeting with him: sen.jack.johnson@capitol.tn.gov; (615) 741-2495. Suite 702 in Cordell Hull. Maybe if you meet with him, he’ll have an on-the-road-to-Damascus moment.
[2] SO WHAT THE HECK IS NEXT?
I already mentioned meeting with and calling Sam Whitson and Jack Johnson. Seriously, do that first. Then…
Follow Voices for a Safer Tennessee and Awake Tennessee. They’ll keep you better informed than I will.
If I planned a sit-in outside or in a lawmakers’ office in the coming weeks, would you come? If so, email here and we’ll make plans in a smaller group: xjaredsullivanx@gmail.com.
We have a list of other important lawmakers to call on our website, tncommonsense.com.
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Finally, I’m now sending these updates with TinyLetter, which should make subscribing (or unsubscribing) easier.
Thank you for caring, Jared Sullivan.