One of the most frustrating aspects of fighting for #MaKayla’s Law was the way the bill was deliberately misrepresented by the National Rifle Association and the legislators who do their bidding. SB 2294/HB2058 MaKayla’s Law, was initially presented to the Senate Judiciary Committee on March 1st by Senate Sponsor and Judiciary Committee member Sara Kyle. MaKayla’s mom testified, asking legislators to
Read moreA study by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that seven states — West Virginia, Kentucky, South Carolina, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama and Tennessee — all suffered from disproportionately high rates of unintentional firearm deaths and that none of the states have laws requiring the safe storage of guns. “As someone who tracks accidental shootings here in Tennessee,
Read moreAccidental shootings of both children and adults up significantly in 2016 Not quite two months into the new year and Tennessee is on pace for even more accidental shootings of both adults and children than in 2015. The Centers for Disease Control ranks Tennessee 9th in the nation for accidental shootings. Last year, the CDC reported that accidental shootings were
Read moreLike gun violence prevention advocates around the country, we at The Safe Tennessee Project are concerned about sheriffs encouraging citizens to arm themselves to thwart a possible terrorist attack. Permit holders in Tennessee undergo an 8 hour class to get their permit. Part of the class is spent on basic gun safety and part is spent on the range. Compare
Read moreAs our state lawmakers wring their hands and worry about whether Syrian refugees are a threat to our state’s security, unsecured firearms have taken the life of at least ten Tennessee children so far this year. A man who may or may not have been a lone wolf terrorist tragically shot and killed 5 servicemen in Chattanooga. Meanwhile, there have been
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