Tennessee Firearms Assoc. Inc.

The mainstream press has blathered on about the massive amount of time spent on "Gun Bills" in the Legislature this session. Ex Speaker Naifeh also has intoned that the amount of time spent debating these issues has taken away from the pursuit of "real" issues as well.

In a small venue meeting this week, the question was put to Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey as to the voracity of those charges. He answered that he had challenged some of the press corp to validate the amount of time spend on the floor of the Senate debating said legislation, and had been advised that the painstaking effort needed to verify (by going back and viewing all the video of the floor debates) has been completed. The time spent on debate alloted to initiatives involving gun issues was less than 2% of the total.

I have yet to see that figure, which in fact was determined by the press, in print or advanced by any form of electronic media.

I think we each need to reach out in appreciation of those who have labored in that venue for our betterment.

To quote another statement heard at that meeting, "It makes a difference who governs!"

We do need to reach out to several of our legislators who have really held the ground this year on firearms owners' rights and who have also helped in the fight, although not always successful, in defeating class legislation.

I have to say in my opinion, the press is overstating the time spent on gun bills. It just seems like more to them because we are in the Post-Naifeh era. In the Speaker Naifeh era, most of these bills would have been disposed of quickly.

It is also an issue that most of the gun bills have either zero or very small fiscal notes and they can work on those without spending money that they know they do not have. Many of those who whine about the legislature working on firearms issues when there are "bigger" issues ignore the fact that many of those other issues would not pass because the state cannot afford them.

I didn't see much time given by the local media to the "bigger issues".

Without the protests of the anti-gunners these bills would have been quick and painless.