Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti sent a letter to the CEOs of American Express, Visa, and Mastercard inquiring about the companies’ plans to comply with a state law set to take effect in the Volunteer State on Monday, July 1 concerning financial transaction data associated with firearm and ammunition purchases.
Read the full storyTag: Firearms
State Senator Brent Taylor Says ‘Not a Single Person Pushed Back’ on His Idea to Remove Shelby County DA Steve Mulroy from Office
Tennessee State Senator Brent Taylor (R-Memphis) said “not a single person” he’s talked to in Memphis has pushed back on his intent to file a Senate Joint Resolution immediately following the November election requiring the removal of Shelby County District Attorney Steve Mulroy.
Read the full storySupreme Court Strikes Down Bump Stock Ban for Firearms in Major Win for Second Amendment Advocates
The Supreme Court on Friday struck down a federal rule put in place during former President Donald Trump’s administration that prohibited bump stocks for guns, handing a major victory to Second Amendment advocates.
In a 6-3, ruling, the court ruled the devices added to semiautomatic weapons to make them fire faster does not convert weapons into prohibited machine guns.
Read the full storyReporter Tom Pappert: ‘Bone-Chilling’ to See 15-Year-Old Alleged Bellevue Killer Smiling After Crime
Tom Pappert, the lead reporter at The Tennessee Star, said the photograph released by the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) that shows the 15-year-old arrested for the fatal Wednesday night shooting in Bellevue smiling after the incident is “bone-chilling.”
On Thursday, Pappert reported that MNPD confirmed the arrest of 15-year-old De’Anthony Osasosifo and named him as a suspect in the Wednesday night shooting in the parking lot of the Red Caboose Park in Bellevue that left a 13-year-old dead and his 16-year-old sister hospitalized.
Read the full storyThe GlockStore to Host Fourth Annual Open House Celebrating the Company’s Move to Nashville
Lenny Magill, founder and CEO of the GlockStore, said the store’s fourth annual open house event will be held this Saturday to celebrate the company’s move from San Diego, California, to the Volunteer State.
“Our open house is this Saturday at 10 a.m. This is our fourth year of celebrating the move from California to Nashville. We love Nashville. At the event this weekend, we’ll have two shooting competitions. We’ve got a lot of fun. Excellent prices on guns. Gun prices that you never see again. They’re super low. Of course, all of our parts and pieces that we manufacture here in Nashville are going to be on sale as well. We’ve got free ice cream. We’ve got food trucks. We’ve got the shooting competitions, which I said, which is a low light competition and a speed competition and we are going to be raffling off a full fledged Glock 17 custom gun,” Magill said on Wednesday’s edition of The Michael Patrick Leahy Show.
Read the full storyBarrett Firearms in Murfreesboro Endorses ‘Gun Owners for Trump’ Coalition
Pete Barrett, the founder of Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, has endorsed the new “Gun Owners for Trump” coalition organized by the Republican National Committee (RNC) and former President Donald Trump.
Read the full storyHouse Passes Bill Allowing More Officers to Carry Concealed Firearms Across State Lines
The GOP-led House passed a bill on Thursday to allow more law enforcement officers to carry concealed firearms across state lines.
The bill received support from 16 House Democrats while 185 opposed it.
Read the full storyVice President Kamala Harris Condemns Tennessee State Lawmakers for Passing Bill to Arm Trained Teachers
Vice President Kamala Harris called lawmakers in the Tennessee General Assembly “extremists” for voting to pass a bill that would arm teachers who are licensed, receive annual training, and are approved by police and school officials.
“Arming teachers is not the solution,” Harris said in an X post on Wednesday. “We know what actually works: universal background checks, red flag laws, safe storage, and an assault weapons ban.”
Read the full storyQuestions Swirl Around Deadly ATF Raid of Arkansas Home Leaving a Local Airport Administrator Dead
Newly released videos show federal agents arriving to execute a search warrant on the home of the administrator of a local airport in Little Rock, Arkansas. The raid-gone-wrong in the predawn hours of March 19 ultimately led to the death of the administrator, Bryan Malinowski, after a brief standoff with the agents.
These videos, as well as a search warrant and affidavit previously published, shed light on why an administrator at the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport was under investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). According to the ATF he was allegedly selling firearms without the proper licenses—some of which were reportedly used in crimes—and for misrepresenting his purpose on purchase forms.
Read the full storyMexico Celebrates Second Victory in War Against U.S. Firearm Dealers
A U.S. District Court judge ruled on Monday that the Mexican government can proceed with a lawsuit alleging that five Arizona gun dealers were involved in trafficking weapons and ammunition to drug cartels across the U.S.-Mexico border.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett Warns of the DOJ’s New ‘Unauthorized Attack’ on the Second Amendment
Tennessee U.S. Representative Tim Burchett (R-TN-02) said the Department of Justice’s new National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center in an “unauthorized attack” on the Second Amendment.
Read the full storyNew Law Has Credit Card Companies Tracking of California Gun Purchases with Merchant Codes
Several large credit card companies are taking steps to track gun purchases in California with a new code, CBS News reported on Monday.
American Express, Visa and Mastercard are working on putting a merchant code in place for firearm and ammunition stores, CBS News reported. They are doing this to adhere to a California law that could enable banks to monitor certain gun purchases that are deemed suspect to forward to law enforcement agencies, which Second Amendment advocates have pushed back against.
Read the full storyCommentary: Gun Owners End 2023 Proving Gun Control Advocates Wrong
As 2023 drew to a close, millions of peaceable Americans geared up for a new year that will bring with it many new limitations on their constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
In California, for example, Jan. 1 was the date to ring in the state’s plethora of new restrictions on carrying concealed firearms in public, courtesy of SB 2, a law passed in the wake of New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen to punish concealed carry permit holders for having their rights vindicated by the Supreme Court.
Read the full storyTSA Confiscated 188 Guns at BNA in 2023
According to an annual report released by the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), there were 188 firearms confiscated from Nashville’s major airport in 2023, ranking among the top in the nation for such incidents.
Nashville International Airport (BNA) ranked fifth in the country for firearms confiscations, according to the report.
Read the full storyMore than 1,200 Guns Were Taken from Vehicles in Nashville Last Year, MNPD Says
A total of 1,203 guns were stolen from vehicles in Nashville last year, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD).
Read the full storyMore Than $63 Million in Illegal Drugs Seized in Ohio Last Year
Drug task forces organized under the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission (OOCIC) across the state confiscated more than $63 million in illegal drugs in 2023, according to Attorney General Dave Yost’s office.
Read the full storyHandgun Safety Course Voucher Program Set to Take Effect in Tennessee
A bill authorizing the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to create a voucher program for the purpose of offsetting the cost of individuals taking a handgun safety course for the first time will take effect on January 1, 2024.
Read the full storyCommentary: 11 More Examples of Defensive Gun Use to Fend Off Criminals
As cities across the country reel from explosive crime rates, many politicians at the local, state, and federal levels are too preoccupied with disarming peaceable American gun owners to identify, arrest, and prosecute actual criminals adequately.
Two masked attackers met their match last month when they attacked Los Angeles resident Vince Ricci as he walked toward the front door of his house. The pair brandished a firearm at Ricci, who pulled out his own gun and shot at the thugs, who ran away.
Read the full storyVeterans Invited to Shoot for Free at Any of Ohio’s Public Shooting Ranges on Veterans Day
Veterans are being invited to shoot for free at any Class A, B, and C shooting range throughout the Buckeye State on Veterans Day, which falls on Saturday, November 11.
Read the full storyTennessee House Committees Decide Fate of Bills to Arm Teachers, Allow Armed Law Enforcement Officers Inside Schools
One of two bills concerning firearms in schools and on school grounds was recommended for passage in separate committees on Wednesday.
Read the full storyGulbransen Confronts the Rumor Mill About a ‘Backroom Deal’ to Pass Red Flag Gun Control Laws During Special Session
Sparks fly in Tuesday’s edition of Aaron’s Analysis on The Tennessee Star Report with Michael Patrick Leahy, as official guest host Aaron Gulbransen directly confronts swirling around the politics of Gov. Lee’s proposed “red flag” gun control law. In a rare moment, Gulbransen shares shocking details about his past and how that informs his insights into what he thinks which measures will and won’t pass during the upcoming special session. TRANSCRIPT Aaron Gulbransen: So, I wanna set this up: I absolutely despise talking about myself other than telling funny stories, but I feel I must point out a few things so the audience can understand where I’m coming from in general, and how I view things politically in special session. The audience knows me, of course, as the official guest host of this program and the executive director of The Tennessee Faith and Freedom Coalition. I am, long ago, a Blue State refugee. I got my start in politics as a volunteer for the Long Island Coalition for Life, the oldest pro-life organization in the country, folding and distributing their newsletter. My first paid campaign was in the year 2000 against Hillary Clinton. Years later, I moved to Virginia and…
Read the full storyMichael Patrick Leahy: Gov. Bill Lee’s 18 Separate Bills Are a Smoke Screen to Jam Through Red Flag Gun Control Laws During Special Session
The Tennessee Star Report host Michael Patrick Leahy took to the airwaves Monday morning to break down Governor Bill Lee’s call for an “extraordinary” special session.
By looking into the recent past, Leahy shows listeners how Lee’s “laundry list” of eighteen line items are little more than a smoke screen to hide the central purpose of the August 21 session, which is to pass legislation that will fundamentally alter the nature of gun ownership in Tennessee.
Read the full storyArizona House Judiciary Committee Members Call on Phoenix City Council to Rescind Ukraine Firearms Ordinance
Chairman Quang Nguyen (R-Prescott) and Vice-Chair Selina Bliss (R-Prescott) of the Arizona House of Representatives Judiciary Committee have sent a letter to the Phoenix City Council asking its members to rescind a recently-approved ordinance that allows for the transfer of approximately 500-600 unclaimed firearms to the National Police of Ukraine.
Read the full storyState Rep. Bryan Richey Issues Open Letter Calling on Governor Bill Lee to Cancel Special Legislative Session
Richey and his colleagues urge the governor to abandon the special session proposed for August 21 in response to The Covenant School tragedy, because the General Assembly can discuss and consider legitimate measures to improve public safety when it reconvenes in January 2024.
While acknowledging that the governor has the constitutional authority to call a special session, the letters states that it “will be a political event to put pressure on conservative Republicans to grow government and ignore the will of their constituents in service to the national woke mob that will descend on the Capitol.”
Read the full storyArizona Gov. Hobbs Vetoes Six More Republican Bills
Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D) announced Wednesday that she had made decisions regarding another batch of bills sent to her desk by the legislature.
Of these nine bills, Hobbs vetoed six, including bills on natural resource conservation, modified firearms, and the voting equipment used in state elections.
Read the full storyTennessee U.S. Representative Andy Ogles Introduces Legislation That Would Expand Access to Firearms for Teachers
Tennessee U.S. Congressman Andy Ogles (R-TN-05) introduced the Teachers Empowered Against Classroom Harm (TEACH) Act on Friday.
Read the full storyATF Director Says He’s ‘Not a Firearms Expert’ When Asked to Define Assault Weapons He Wants to Ban
Steve Dettelbach, director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, would not define what an assault weapon is and said he is “not a firearms expert” despite saying he would support an assault weapons ban.
At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing Tuesday on the ATF’s 2024 fiscal year budget, Rep. Jake Ellzey (R-Texas) asked Dettelbach: “In 15 seconds, would you define an ‘assault weapon’ for me?”
Read the full storyCommentary: Tennessee’s Private Schools Have Authority to Establish ‘Firearms Friendly’ Policies
In 2016 Tennessee passed two new statutes with bi-partisan support that addressed the issue of whether Tennessee’s private schools, both K-12 and “higher education,” could establish their own policies with respect to whether and to what extent civilian possession of firearms would be prohibited on their campuses. These laws are codified at Tennessee Code Annotated Sections 49-50-803 and 49-7-161.
Read the full storyTwo Foreign Countries Join Forces in $10 Billion Lawsuit Against U.S. Gun Manufacturers
The Bahamas joined Mexico Wednesday to appeal a federal judge’s November decision to dismiss a $10 billion lawsuit against U.S. gun manufacturers for deaths caused by firearms, according to EyeWitness News.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis announced the decision, saying the firearms used to commit violent acts in his country are manufactured by American firearm companies and illegally trafficked across borders, according to EyeWitness News. The appeal follows a November ruling in the US District Court for the District of Massachusetts where a federal judge dismissed Mexico’s lawsuit against gun manufacturers Smith & Wesson Brands Inc. and Sturm, Ruger & Co.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Democrat Proposes Waiting Periods for Acquiring Guns
A Pennsylvania state senator this week announced she is reintroducing legislation to force gun buyers to undergo three-day waiting periods before they take possession of their firearms.
Senator Amanda Cappelletti (D-Norristown) wrote in a memorandum describing her bill that she believes the measure could reduce both violent crime and suicides. She stated that more than 60 percent of gun deaths are intentionally self-inflicted and said research has shown that many suicide survivors thought about taking the actions they did for less than a 24-hour period.
Read the full storyTennessee Bills Would Change Gun Permit Laws, Allow Campus Carry
Two bills in the Tennessee Legislature would change the places and way some Tennesseans are able to carry firearms.
A bill that does several things, including changing the term “handgun” to “firearm” in concealed carry code, made its way through the House Civil Justice Committee. The bill was amended and also now includes language to lower the age for concealed carry permits from 21 to 18, in line with an agreement from Tennessee’s Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and the Firearms Policy Coalition to settle the lawsuit.
Read the full storySecond Amendment Lawsuit Challenges ATF’s New Gun Control Rule
A new federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) rule on pistols with stabllizing braces faces a Second Amendment lawsuit filed on behalf of disabled veterans.
The Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL) filed the complaint Tuesday in the U.S. Northern District of Texas Amarillo Division.
Read the full storyTennessee Firearms Association Looking for Plaintiffs for Possible Lawsuit Against the State over Gun-Free Zones
The Tennessee Firearms Association (TFA) is looking for plaintiffs to take part in a possible lawsuit against the state of Tennessee pertaining to the state’s gun-free zones.
A lawsuit is being prepared for filing in state court against the State of Tennessee that will address gun-free zones and whether those zones violate the constitution, according to the TFA.
Read the full storyCourt Settlement Lowers Tennessee Concealed Carry Age to 18
Those who are 18 to 20 can now openly carry firearms in Tennessee after a settlement was reached between the Firearms Policy Coalition and the state.
The settlement came as the result of a suit following Tennessee’s law on open carry restricting those who are 18 to 21 from being part of the allowance.
Read the full storyEighteen State AGs Voicing Support for New York Gun-Industry Liability Law
A coalition of 18 state attorneys general, all Democrats, on Wednesday submitted an amicus brief in support of New York’s firearms industry accountability law.
In the brief, the coalition led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asserts the law’s legitimacy to protect residents public health, safety and welfare.
Read the full storyTFA’s John Harris Commentary: What the Congressional Speaker Selection Delay Means to Gun Owners in Tennessee
As of January 3, 2023, the Republicans were supposed to control the United States House of Representatives by a slim majority. On that date, many expected that the task of electing a new Speaker and moving forward with the business of “the people” in the House would start under Republican party control. But as of January 6, 2023, those elected to serve in the House have not selected a Speaker and so the House has not been organized nor undertaken regular operations. National news reports indicate that the presumptive Republican Speaker so far has fallen short in getting the required number of votes in part because approximately 20 Republicans who were elected in November have refused to vote for McCarty and no other individual has demonstrated enough votes to get the position.
One of the issues that is being discussed is whether any of those who have refused to support McCarthy in the 11 votes taken as of January 5th have broken a promise, perhaps a campaign promise, to do so. It is an active discussion over what was promised and whether there are any valid justifications for withholding support if a promise was made. Indeed, at least in Nashville, the talk radio shows are expending a great amount of time reviewing this issue because there is a Congressman-elect from Tennessee who is part of the story.
Read the full storyHalf of the US No Longer Requires a Permit for Concealed Carry
Half of the states in the U.S. no longer require residents to hold a concealed carry permit to carry firearms in public after Alabama, Indiana, Georgia and Ohio passed laws in 2022 removing permit requirements.
On Monday, Alabama began enforcing its permitless carry law, becoming the 25th state to do so, while Indiana, Georgia and Ohio also passed laws this year allowing residents to concealed carry firearms without a permit. Over the last two years 10 states have moved to permitless carry, including Utah, Montana, Iowa, Tennessee, Arkansas and Texas.
Read the full storyState Senator Becky Massey Files Bill That Would Offer Reimbursement for Gun Safety Courses
Tennessee State Senator Becky Massey (R-Knoxville) filed a bill this week that would reimburse people for taking a first-time handgun safety course. The bill would reimburse people up to $30 for taking a handgun safety course in Tennessee. The reimbursements would be funded from fees collected by the state’s handgun carry permit application and processing costs.
Read the full storyFounder Lenny Magill Talks Black Friday Deals All Week Long at the GlockStore and One of a Kind Shoot 270 Ranges
Monday morning on The Tennessee Star Report, host Leahy welcomed GlockStore founder, Lenny Magill to the newsmaker line to talk about Black Friday specials all week long, laws for firearm gift giving, and their special Shoot 270 range.
Read the full storyOregon’s New Gun Control Law Sparks Buying Spree as Thousands Race to Get Firearms
Oregon’s new law that will rigidly tighten the state’s gun restrictions led to a massive uptick in attempted firearms purchases, according to NBC affiliate KGW8.
Ballot Measure 114 was passed during the midterm elections and is credited as one of the most restrictive gun laws in the country, sending background checks skyrocketing from 850 per day, prior to the midterms, to 4,000 per day after the law’s passing, according to KGW8. The measure, often referred to as the Reduction of Gun Violence Act, will require deeper background checks, firearm training, fingerprint collection and a permit to purchase any firearm, according to the legislation, set to be effective in December.
Read the full storyThe Metropolitan Nashville Police Department Urges Nashville Citizens to Secure Firearms After 1,163 Thefts from Vehicles This Year
The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department continues to plead with the citizens of Nashville to lock their car doors and secure their guns as the number of firearms stolen from vehicles climbs to 1,163 this year.
“It’s become a disturbing trend, and it needs to stop; guns being stolen from vehicles. Criminals are continuously checking door handles, ready to steal, and it guns are left visible, they will do whatever it takes to break in. It takes just seconds for someone to grab your gun and go. Stats from this year shows a tremendous increase in guns being stolen from vehicles,” Chief of Police John Drake said in a video posted by MNPD in September.
Read the full storyCongressman Mark Green Demands Answers from ATF on Its Increased Targeting of Federal Firearms Licensees
Congressman Mark Green penned a letter this week to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) expressing concerns over the bureau’s increased targeting of federal firearms licensees (FFL).
Read the full storyNumber of Firearms Stolen This Year from Vehicles in Metro Nashville Will Soon Top 1,000
According to the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, this year, 998 guns have been stolen from vehicles in Nashville, Tennessee, including 17 guns, stolen from vehicles last week.
In a video posted by the MNPD, Chief of Police Chief Drake said, “It’s become a disturbing trend, and it needs to stop; guns being stolen from vehicles. Criminals are continuously checking door handles, ready to steal, and if guns are left visible, they will do whatever it takes to break in. It takes just seconds for someone to grab your gun and go. Stats from this year shows a tremendous increase in guns being stolen from vehicles.”
Read the full storyMerchant Banking Organization: Gun, Ammunition Purchases by Credit Card Will be Coded
The international organization responsible for creating merchant category codes for credit card purchases has given its approval to establish one for transactions made at gun stores.
The International Organization for Standardization’s Registration and Maintenance Management Group met on Wednesday to discuss a request made by Amalgamated Bank to set up such a code.
An ISO spokesperson told The Center Square that RMMG members could not decide whether to approve the application. That elevated the discussion to the ISO leadership that oversees standards for retail financial services.
Read the full storyThe FBI Secretly Pressured Americans to Waive Away Their Gun Rights
The FBI secretly pressured Americans into signing forms that relinquish their rights to own, purchase or even use firearms, according to a trove of internal documents and communications obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The forms were presented by the FBI to people at their homes and in other undisclosed locations, according to bureau documents unearthed through the Freedom of Information Act by the firearm rights group Gun Owners of America (GOA) and shared with the DCNF. At least 15 people between 2016 and 2019 signed the secret forms, which ask signatories to declare themselves as either a “danger” to themselves or others or lacking “mental capacity adequately to contract or manage” their lives.
Read the full story‘Gift Cards for Guns’ Event Sees 76 Firearms Turned Over to Metro Nashville Police in Exchange for $50 Kroger Gift Cards
Metro Nashville Police announced that 76 firearms were turned in on Saturday during a ‘gift cards for guns’ event at Greater Revelations Baptist Church. Out of the 76 firearms turned in, 45 of them were pistols.
Read the full storyPennsylvania House Democrat Introduces Bill to Create Gun Purchase Permits
Pennsylvania state Representative Emily Kinkead (D-Pittsburgh) announced on Friday that she will sponsor a bill to require residents to obtain permits to buy guns.
Her legislation is a companion to a Senate measure authored by Art Haywood (D-Philadelphia). The senator began touting his legislation the day after the May school shooting in Uvalde, TX in which an 18-year-old killed 19 children and two teachers.
Read the full storyConnecticut’s AG Tong Among 20 State Attorneys General Supporting National Gun Control Rule
A coalition of 20 state attorneys general, all Democrats, are backing a federal gun rule in court.
The Final Rule, as the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives named it, would enable law enforcement officials to trace any homemade guns used in crimes. In addition, the rule limits trafficking the weaponry.
Read the full storyOhio’s Portman Is Among Senators Backing Gun Control Deal
On Sunday, twenty U.S. senators, including Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH), announced they arrived at a proposal containing gun control and other measures they believe will curb violence in America.
The emerging legislation comes as pressure mounts on lawmakers to act in response to mass shootings like the recent ones in Buffalo, NY and Uvalde, TX.
Read the full storyTennessee Rep. John Rose Votes ‘No’, Accuses House Democrats of ‘Infringing on Second Amendment Rights’ with Gun Control Bill
Tennessee Republican Representative John Rose (R-TN-06) voted “No” on two gun control bills brought to the House floor Wednesday.
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