NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Tennessee lawmakers won't officially return to the capitol for several more months, but two Nashville lawmakers are already thinking about a bill for next year: safe gun storage requirements.
Both Republicans and Democrats will admit stolen weapons are becoming a serious problem in Tennessee. In fact, Memphis, Chattanooga and Nashville all rank in the top 15 cities in the country for stolen guns, according to Everytown Research and Policy, which supports elements of gun control.
"Last week, we had 19 firearms stolen from vehicles. That brings the total here to 583 guns taken from cars, according to a press release from MNPD," said Rep. Caleb Hemmer, D-Nashville.
"Let’s be clear, this is a problem that we in the legislature created," said Sen. Jeff Yarbro, also a Nashville Democrat.
Guns in trunks
Yarbro is referencing the Guns in Trunks Law, passed by Tennessee lawmakers back in 2013. Under the law, firearms were supposed to be locked away in a car — out of sight. That's how it got the nickname "guns in trunks."
"One will allow for gun carry permit holders to keep their firearm in locked cars," explained then-Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, a Republican from Bristol.
Yarbro says, the way the bill was written, it didn't include any consequences if someone didn't have their firearm safely secured.
"[It] allowed them to keep it insecurely too," Sen. Yarbro said.
Proposed consequences for not safely storing
So Rep. Hemmer and Sen. Yarbro want to change the law where someone who doesn't safely store a firearm or doesn't report a stolen firearm, could have to participate in a court-ordered firearm safety class.
"It’s literally less than what we apply to a speeding ticket," said Sen. Yarbro. "There’s no reason to think of this as a punitive measure. Alright? It’s not like we’re trying to lock people up."
They made the announcement, flanked by representatives from Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action. Both groups have gotten more politically active in the last few years, following a wave of mass shootings in America.
Republican opposition
I reached out to several different Republican lawmakers to see if they would talk about this topic. The only lawmaker to respond, via statement, was House Speaker Cameron Sexton, a Republican from Crossville.
"The progressives continue to look for ways to criminalize victims of crimes, instead of being tough on the actual criminal," wrote Speaker Sexton. "This is nothing more than a backdoor attempt to ultimately push gun registration in Tennessee and advance their ultra-progressive agenda."
Earlier this year when Hemmer and Yarbro's first version of this bill was debated, Sen. Todd Gardenhire argued that locking up a gun could prevent someone from using it when they needed it the most.
"You can go into a glove compartment and pop it out. It’s almost useless to have something locked in your glove compartment," said Gardenhire, a Chattanooga Republican.
Gardenhire also argued that the proposed bill punished the wrong people.
"Are we not punishing the right people? Shouldn’t your bill say there should be a punishment for the person who breaks into the car and attempts to steal the gun?" asked Gardenhire.
Ultimately, the Senate Judiciary Committee defeated the bill 7-2 along party lines.
Yarbro says this bill shouldn't be considered a punishment against law-abiding gun owners.
"Why do you want to punish the law abiding gun owners? And my answer is, I don’t. I want the gun owners to abide by the law," he said.
Given the makeup of the legislature, Yarbro and Hemmer will have to utilize the several months they have to even have a chance to change the law.
"Ensuring that the firearms are actually kept a secure place, I think, would make a significant difference," said Sen. Yarbro.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Chris.Davis@NewsChannel5.com.
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