2013 Employee Commute Bill

[xlr8]

I would like to see an analysis of other states that have either a similar employee commute law on the books or have a "Vermont-style" carry law in place that allows possession of firearms in a locked vehicle on an employer's property (both private and public employers). Specifically, it would be interested to see a list or number of alleged crimes or "issues" that have been recorded that would indicate that they types of laws are potentially problematic. For example, if opposition to this bill appears from major national and international employers such as FedEx, Nissan, Volkswagen, and/or others; lets look at the states in which these corporations have operations and see if there have been any reported issues. Perhaps the NRA has some data on this, I'm not sure. These corporation's arguments simply don't hold any water other than just left wing, liberal-speak rhetoric. Let's let the data speak for itself and look at this as a potential information tool to provide to legislators in the upcoming 2013 session.

Any comments or thoughts?

Thanks!

[Sky King]

[xlr8]

Here's an article regarding Gov. Haslam's stance on the 2013 version of the Employee Safe Commute Bill. It is interesting to view the "spin" being put on the recent election and on the upcoming legislative session.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/20 ... guns-bill/

[xlr8]

More liberal hand wringing and media spin from the Tennessean on this matter:

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120 ... 972/NEWS02

[Sky King]

Ok, I read the article. I failed to see any argument made against this legislation that I have not seen before. None of them hold water but our General Assembly members fail to see all the holes in their positions. Well, actually they may see the holes but like the duck in the Aflac commercial, trying to plug the holes in the leaky boat, corporate dollars went along way to make the General Assembly members turn a blind eye the the blatant absurdity of their rhetoric and plug those holes.

One of my biggest concerns for this up-comming session is that any proposed bills by any of the pro-business groups WILL contain exemptions that are unacceptable. Of course I for one, will vehemntly oppose any exemptions for employers with "secured" parking lots as this does NOTHING to address the main reason for the law. What will happen is groups such as the NRA and TFA along with myself will oppose such exemptions and the pro-business members will say that they tried to offer a compromise and we were not willing to come to the table. They will try to use this to turn support away from us with this tactic. But we HAVE to stay the course and show how their compromise is useless and is only being used to turn this into another media circus vilifying the pro-gun people as being gun nut fanatics.

As for the arguements by the healt care/hospital group, I challenge that as well. Just as the recent events in Colorado and other locations have made national media headlines, any such event they describe would certainly have been well publicized. You know the anti-gun liberal media would have jumped all over it and yet I have not heard of the events he claims are in increasing number.

Even the vice-president of corporate security for FedEx last year TESTIFIED in committee that they had NO issues involving legal firearms in employee vehicles in the 17 + states that allow this.

I look forward to seeing what Josh Evans may propose. I think he got caught up in being heavily influenced by the Republican caucus leadership and other strong members such as Vance Dennis. I hope he will introduce a good bill and be willing to stand by it this session. If so, I will do what I can to support it and work with him on it.

Vance Dennis, at my last information won his primary bid by just a couple of votes and the local gun club that has strongly supported him in the past has made sure he understands that they could have VERY easily caused him to loose. I hope they keep that pressure up during the general election and demand he move away from his stone-walling and his support for Beth Harwell for Speaker.

As for Stacy Campfield, all I can say about this guy is that he is a loose cannon. I thought he was going to be with us but his amendment, while may not have been the only reason our bill failed last year, it certainly did not help it. If the opposition felt the bill was too broad before the amendment, it just make it worse. I called his amendment a "poision pill" when he introduced it then and I stand by it now. His request for the opinions from the state Attorney General was good and was appropriately answered but his on-going line of questions just seemed to far out in left field I often asked my self, "what planet is he from?". In short, he scares me.

[xlr8]

The spin by the liberal media has begun regarding the 2013 version of the Employee Commute Bill.

See: http://www.tennessean.com/viewart/20121 ... egislature

It will be interesting to ascertain the level of alleged influence of Tennessee "big business" (FedEx, VW, AT&T, et al.) regarding the new version of the bill. Time will tell.

[Ron W]

Article I of our State Constitution is the Tennessee Declaration of Rights, section 26 of which DECLARES our RIGHT to armed self-defense. The ONLY delegated power in that article for the Legislature is the "power to regulate THE WEARING of arms with a view to prevent crime". So the State by law can NOT regulate where, when or if you carry arms for self-defense but ONLY how you wear the arms. The phony conservative elected officials who should CONSERVE our enumerated rights and the phony liberal elected officials who should protect our liberties are largely on the statist side and against their oaths to the State Constitution.

[Fred762]

I have listened to this 'debate' for many many years. Oddly, the same old, tired arguments keep cropping up...just like they did 30 years ago when the CCW movement began in ernest as Florida passed their CCW bill. The liberal media and politicians of all liberal colors whined at the time about 'accidental shootings', bloodinthestreets, Dodge City etc etc ad nauseum. What they always fail to tell is the truth. Honest hard-working citizens in many states now carry legal guns and have proven far far less likely to shoot each other than have the typical criminals, assorted gangbangers and druggies with which we have to contend! The carrying of legal guns is simply an extension of the castle doctrine: a man should be able to defend himself at home or anywhere he happens to be...and on the way TO and FROM where he needs to BE.

Banning guns 'at work' doesn't mean only that the citizen is disarmed and defenseless at work; it also means that he is defenseless while traveling to and from work as well..something for which the EMPLOYERS take absolutely NO responsibility, and the liberal media will not discuss!! The old adage that "when trouble is seconds away, a COP is MINUTES away, at best".. is all too true. To make it worse, I'd say that 90+% of places of employment are nearly defenseless and the employees are nothing but potential, unarmed victims..waiting for a terrorist attack or criminal encroachment which could come at any time. That we here in America have yet to have frequent attacks is only serendipity. It happens all too frequently in many pther countries...and could happen here. Guns-at-work bills are a START only..the freedom to defend one's life should be universal and common. We would all be safer.