OFFICIAL PETITION TO THE TENNESSEE GENERAL ASSEMBLY
WHEREAS, HB0944 and its Senate companion SB0632 would prohibit the possession of widely owned rifles such as AR 15s, require Tennesseans to register their firearms with the state, and mandate a certificate of possession that includes identifying information and government tracking; and
WHEREAS, HB0944 and SB0632 criminalize the continued possession, transfer, or inheritance of these firearms and magazines, turning law abiding citizens into felons for owning common tools of self defense; and
WHEREAS, HB1390 would authorize courts to issue extreme risk protection orders that confiscate firearms based on accusations rather than criminal convictions, allowing the state to seize firearms without full due process and without proving a crime has been committed; and
WHEREAS, HB1390 denies Tennesseans the presumption of innocence by weaponizing the courts to preemptively disarm citizens, creating a dangerous framework that can be expanded to broader categories of lawful gun owners; and
WHEREAS, both HB0944 and HB1390 are now filed and active for the 2025–2026 legislative session, representing the opening moves of a coordinated push to bring California style gun control into Tennessee; and
WHEREAS, the results of the recent TN 7 special election showed a dangerous collapse in Republican enthusiasm and revealed a clear warning that the conservative base is tired of GOP weakness and betrayal on constitutional rights; and
WHEREAS, Tennessee gun owners already watched Republicans in the Legislature cave under pressure in 2023 when Governor Bill Lee demanded a red flag special session, proving that lawmakers will retreat on the Second Amendment when they believe gun owners are silent; and
WHEREAS, these bills strike at the heart of the Second Amendment, the Tennessee Constitution, personal liberty, due process, and the right of every Tennessean to defend life and family without government registration or confiscation schemes;
THEREFORE, I demand that my State Representative and State Senator publicly and unequivocally oppose HB0944, SB0632 and HB1390 in their entirety, refuse to support any amendments, compromises or negotiations related to these bills, and commit to vote against any gun control measure brought forward during the 2025–2026 legislative session. I insist that they defend the rights of Tennessee gun owners without hesitation and reject every attempt to infringe upon our freedoms.