MEMPHIS, Tenn. — On the same day that a gunman carried out the latest mass killing of innocent shoppers in a Colorado grocery store, guess what Tennessee Governor Bill Lee was doing. If you said promoting the right to carry handguns in public no questions asked, you’d be right.
A mere hours after 10 people, including a police officer, were shot to death in Boulder, Colorado, Lee spoke by video to members of the National Rifle Association. During the call, the governor thanked them for lobbying legislators to support a bill removing the requirement for a permit to carry a handgun in Tennessee. The bill has already passed in the state Senate and is headed for smooth sailing next week in the House.
Lee insists that getting rid of permits will make Tennesseans safer – despite evidence to the contrary. Plus, budget analysts say the legislation will cost the state up to $20 million in lost revenue from permit fees – along with increased incarceration costs. The governor’s bill makes the theft of firearms a felony rather than a misdemeanor and carries a mandatory six-month prison term – up from 30 days. That means jails could start filling up with people caught stealing guns mostly from vehicles.
Police officials across Tennessee strongly oppose this bill. But the governor’s Monday night chat with the NRA shows he cares more about the gun lobby – than law enforcement. And that’s my point of view.