Another Victory in Tennessee: Everytown, Tennessee Moms Applaud Defeat of Legislation That Would Have Overturned Current Law Prohibiting Violent Felons From Possessing Firearms

Second Win for Gun Sense in Tennessee in Past Five Days; Just Last Week, Gov. Haslam Signed Bipartisan Legislation that Alerts Law Enforcement When Dangerous People Try to Buy a Gun and Fail a Background Check

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, today applauded the Tennessee legislature for rejecting Senate Bill 1613, which would have allowed violent felons – including those convicted of voluntary manslaughter, felony domestic abuse, aggravated robbery and even kidnapping – to regain their ability to possess firearms almost immediately after their sentence is completed.

Under current Tennessee law, people convicted of violent felonies are prohibited from possessing firearms. SB 1613 would have overturned this common-sense public safety measure. After Washington State passed a law similar to SB 1613, more than 400 of the 3,300 convicted felons who regained their ability to possess firearms went on to commit new crimes.

This is the second recent win for gun safety in Tennessee. This past Friday, Governor Haslam signed legislation that requires the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation to notify local officials when dangerous domestic abusers try to buy a gun and fail a background check.

STATEMENT FROM LINDA MCFADYEN-KETCHUM, A VOLUNTEER WITH THE TENNESSEE CHAPTER OF MOMS DEMAND ACTION FOR GUN SENSE IN AMERICA:

“Tennessee moms are grateful that the Senate Judiciary Committee stood up for the safety of Tennesseans, listened to the voices of voters and rejected legislation that would have allowed violent felons to legally possess firearms. What’s more: this dangerous piece of legislation was rejected by a bipartisan vote. Just days after Governor Haslam signed meaningful bipartisan gun legislation last week, today’s news proves once again that gun violence prevention is not a partisan issue, but one that matters to all Tennesseans. We look forward to continuing to work with our legislators to make Tennessee communities safer and continue to find common ground in the fight against gun violence.”