Everytown, Tennessee Moms Demand Action Release Polling Showing Overwhelming Majority of Tennessee Voters Oppose Dangerous Gun Bills

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Everytown for Gun Safety Action Fund and the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense America, part of Everytown, today released a new poll showing a strong majority of Tennessee voters oppose dangerous gun bills that:

• Would allow out-of-state special interest groups and trial lawyers to sue Tennessee cities that attempt to enforce or adopt solutions to reduce gun violence in their communities, as House Bill 508 and Senate Bill 445 propose; and
  
• Would effectively dismantle the state’s current requirement to get a permit and undergo safety training in order to carry a loaded handgun in public as House Bill 1176 and Senate Bill 339 would.

The polling found, among other results:

• 65 percent of Tennessee voters – including 71 percent of Republicans, 69 percent of Democrats and 61 percent of gun owners – oppose punitive preemption bills currently before the state legislature, which would allow out-of-state special interest groups to sue cities and towns for passing or enforcing local gun laws.
  
• 93 percent of Tennessee voters – including 93 percent of Republicans, 94 percent of Democrats, 88 percent of gun owners and 89 percent of current permit holders – support the state’s current permit requirement for carrying a handgun in public.

“This poll reinforces that Tennessee residents support both the Second Amendment and common-sense gun laws to keep our communities safe,” said Kathleen Chandler Wright, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. “Tennesseans do not believe that we should incentivize out-of-state special interests groups to sue our cities and towns for implementing local solutions to curb gun violence. These out-of-state groups have no business pocketing Tennessee taxpayer money, and we refuse to be intimidated for attempting to protect our families and communities. Tennesseans also support our existing handgun permitting system, and oppose allowing people to carry hidden, loaded handguns in public with no permit or safety training. Our lawmakers should take heed and reject these reckless bills.”