Safer TN Tracker

As we send our children back to school this month, we feel excitement, a sense of possibility, and no small measure of apprehension. Will my child be safe? 

School shootings are thankfully rare, but when they do occur, they are devastating. A Tennessee law adopted this year allows school superintendents and sheriffs to authorize school staff members to carry firearms if they undergo extensive training, a background check, and a psychological assessment.

Safer TN does not believe adding guns to gun-free zones ever makes us safer, and we are pleased that many districts have publicly declared that they do not intend to participate in this program. We are not aware of any districts that have moved forward to allow teachers and other staff members to carry firearms at school.

We urge you to speak up and let your school officials know where you stand on this issue. If your superintendent has announced that he or she does not intend to allow armed staff, send a note of thanks. If your district hasn’t announced any decision, let the local superintendent and sheriff know you want to keep the schools gun-free. We’ve provided a web-based tool that makes it easy. 

It is by using our collective voices and our votes that we will bring about change. Thank you for your partnership as we work together to keep our children and communities safer.

With gratitude,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

On Tuesday, August 6, Safer TN representatives attended the Edgehill Resident Association Annual Night Against Crime in Nashville. Our volunteers met neighbors and shared information about firearm safety.

Primary Election Recap

Election update, from The Tennessean: “Statewide voter participation in Thursday’s primary elections was the lowest in decades, with fewer than 14% of Tennessee’s registered voters voting early, absentee or on election day. While voter registration has increased steadily in recent years, fewer registered voters are actually participating in elections.”

• Tennessee is last in the nation for voter turnout. Only about 637,500 voters of nearly 4.6 million registered voters cast ballots in this primary. 

This is why every vote matters: 

• 39 of 99 State House seats were determined in the primary election (because there will be no opponent in the November general election).
• 5 out of 16 State Senate seats were determined in the primary (because there will be no opponent in the November general election).
• 5 primary races were decided by fewer than 200 votes. 

All election results, including by county or district, are available on the Secretary of State’s website.

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Jillian’s Law Put to Use 
Jillian’s Law, which was enacted this past legislative session and went into effect on July 1, is already being put to use. It  prohibits the purchase or possession of firearms by individuals deemed incompetent to stand trial, and establishes a process for involuntary commitment to mental health treatment for those who are incompetent and pose a danger to themselves or others.

• WKRN: The defendant in this first reported case was deemed incompetent to stand trial for a string of felonies, like burglary and theft, and will be admitted into the Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute.
• Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk explained how this law will make a difference. His office has identified about 30 people who met the criteria outlined in the law – committed felony-level crimes but found incompetent to stand trial – and were let go prior to Jillian’s Law’s passage, even though those individuals had a very high likelihood of committing other major crimes.
  • D.A. Funk: “[H]aving this law in the books gives us another tool to be able to properly establish public safety and work for the benefit of everybody in the community. Doctors, instead of the criminal justice system, deal with this person, but they’re not just having their cases dismissed and returned to the streets.” 

The new law is named for Belmont University student Jillian Ludwig, who tragically lost her life last November to shots fired by a mentally incompetent individual.

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Teacher Carry Law 

As our kids head back to school, Safer TN continues to monitor which counties and school districts have opted out of the new law to establish a training and approval process for teachers and other staff members to carry concealed firearms in schools.

If you don’t see your school district on the list below, we encourage you to weigh in with school leadership. We have a tool to make it easy here. 
If your school district has publicly opted out and you don’t see it listed below, please let us know at info@safertn.org. 

The general election is on November 5, with key voting dates below. Make sure you’re registered to vote!

The Trace’s Data Hub tracks firearm sales by state. Last month, 45,393 firearms were estimated to have been sold in Tennessee. Monthly sales have more than doubled over the past two decades.

• ‘Jillian’s Law’ put to use in Tennessee (WKRN)

• Where Middle Tennessee schools stand on allowing teachers to carry guns (The Tennessean)
  
• Federal appeals court upholds Maryland’s ban on assault-style weapons (NPR)

We have two more days to vote early in this primary election, which will set the course for the next session of the General Assembly. It’s hard to overstate the importance of the primary: Because of the way Tennessee’s state legislative and Congressional districts are drawn, the primary is often the race to win and determines who will hold the seat. We are, in effect, choosing a large percentage of our legislature NOW. 

To date, only 5% of registered voters in Tennessee have cast ballots in the primary. We have an opportunity – and an obligation – to help turn that around. To make an impact, every member of our coalition needs to vote and to make sure family members and friends do, too.

Safer TN is not endorsing candidates in this election, but we encourage you to educate yourself about the candidates on your ballot and where they stand on firearm safety. Use our online voter tool to start your research.

Like many of you, I’m a busy working parent. I don’t wait until Election Day to vote, because  there’s always a risk that a sick child or other emergency will throw a wrench into the day’s schedule. That’s why I take advantage of Tennessee’s early voting window to make sure I get to the polls. We at Safer TN urge you to do the same. You can find early voting locations and hours in your county here. 

If you don’t get a chance to cast an early vote today or tomorrow, polls are open on election day – Thursday, August 1 – with polling locations listed here. 

Thank you for using your vote to create a safer Tennessee for our children and communities.

With gratitude,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

We looked at the data and we’re lagging previous early voter totals – with only three voting days left! The latest figures show 167,399 FEWER Tennesseans have voted early than at this point in 2020. Let’s change that with a strong finish!

Make a voting plan: 

1. Find your polling place and polling hours. 

2. Educate yourself on who is on the ballot. You can look up a sample ballot for your district here, and use our new voter tool to see who is on the ballot and easily access their websites for info about their policy positions. 

3. Head to the polls! Make sure you bring a valid photo ID issued by the State of Tennessee or the U.S. Government. Student IDs are not accepted.

Friday, July 26 and Saturday, July 27 are the LAST days to early vote in the primary. Primary election day is Thursday, August 1st.

Tennessee can’t be LAST! According to recent election data, Tennessee has the LOWEST voter turnout in the nation – meaning the elected officials who are making vital decisions about our firearm safety laws are elected by only a small fraction of Tennesseans. 

The Safer TN coalition is heading to the polls! And teaching our kids about the importance of making our voices heard with our votes:

Show us your “I voted” sticker (and any little voting helpers!) by tagging us on social at @voices4safertn #SaferTN

U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy on why his office made the decision to issue a historic Advisory on Gun Violence in America, identifying it as a “Public Health Crisis”:

First, the Surgeon General’s publications in the Office of the Surgeon General have been used in the past to draw the country to action around critical issues. I think about smoking back in 1964, when Surgeon General Luther Terry issued the first Surgeon General’s Report on tobacco. That was a time when cigarette smoking was deeply interwoven into the culture of America. Forty-two percent of the country smoked. Kids and adults were both seeing advertisements for smoking all the time. Doctors smoked. It seemed like it was the normal thing to do.

Yet, despite that, when we realized that smoking is a public health issue, we took action to address it. That report catalyzed a series of programs, educational initiatives, youth advocacy efforts, as well as policies from lawmakers that ultimately helped reduce smoking from 42 percent in 1964 to below 12 percent, where it is today.

I look at our country’s experience with car accidents, with car accident-related deaths. And here, too, you can see a moment where, rather than just accepting the high level of car accident-related deaths as the new normal, we said, “No, we can make cars safer. We can prevent this loss of life.” And that’s what we did.Even on intractable issues, we can make progress when we see them for what they are: public health issues that require a public health approach. And so I do draw some inspiration from that. Here, too, the solution is complex, but it’s feasible, and it’s possible.

While there is often the perception that the increase in firearm injury and death is an urban problem, recent analysis of Gun Violence Archive data shows small towns and rural areas in the South have seen a 70% increase in shooting deaths and injuries from 2014 – 2023.

Guns, money stolen in multiple Dickson County car burglaries (WKRN)

Men arrested for shooting Tennessee state trooper in Cookeville (WDEF)

Teen grazed by bullet in Knoxville shooting, police say (WVLT8)

In a Decade, Firearm Deaths Among Young Black People in Rural America Have Quadrupled (The Trace)

“Our political leaders will know our priorities only if we tell them, again and again, and if those priorities begin to show up in the polls.”

–Peggy Noonan, presidential speechwriter and American author

Early voting has begun in the primary election, including Tennessee’s first legislative elections since the the formation of Voices for a Safer Tennessee. In addition to other races and ballot issues, we will be electing the people who establish firearm policies in our state. 

In many districts, the primary will determine who ultimately holds the office; therefore, we urge you to vote in both the primary and the November general election. Tennessee was #51 in voter turnout in the 2022 elections. We can and must do better. As the Volunteer State, we have a long history of stepping up for our civic duty. These elections are a perfect opportunity to stand up for a safer Tennessee. 

To help you navigate the process, the Safer TN team has developed a personalized, easy-to-use tool based on publicly available information that enables you to (1) find out who will be on your ballot; (2) search the candidates’ websites or contact them to find out where they stand on firearm safety; and (3) find out how, where and when you can vote – early in person, by absentee ballot, or on Election Day. 

By using our voices AND our votes, together we are working toward safer and healthier communities across Tennessee.

Sincerely,

Claudia Huskey
Executive Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

Safer TN in the Community

Safer TN supporters are spreading our message across the state at local festivals, parades, weekend sports, and other community events. We recently attended events in Chattanooga, Dickson, Lebanon, Murfreesboro, Nashville and Sewanee!

Coming up, Safer TN will attend Murfreesboro Saturday Market (July 20 and 27) and Columbia First Fridays (August 2). Click here for more info and join us! 

Do you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see a Safer TN presence?Share the event details and we’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps.

Use the New Safer TN Candidate Search Tool today! 

Tennessee has the LOWEST voter turnout in the nation – meaning the elected officials who are making vital decisions about our firearm safety laws are elected by only a small fraction of Tennesseans. 

Tennesseans will elect state and federal lawmakers this year, with a primary August 1 and the general election November 5. Early voting started Friday, July 12th, and runs through Saturday, July 27th. Information about polling hours and locations are available at GoVoteTN.gov. 

Now, Safer TN is making it easier for you to look up who is on the ballot in your region. Check out the New Safer TN Election Tool to help you contact and learn about the candidates on your local ballot and make your voting plan. It’s as easy as 1-2-3. Click here to get started.

Understanding Dynamics of the Tennessee General Assembly

A new episode of the podcast “Pod Bless Nashville” interviews Nashville Public Radio’s Meribah Knight, who spent a year embedded in the Tennessee State House learning the dynamics at play in the General Assembly, and the challenges to advancing firearm safety legislation in the wake of the Covenant tragedy. Safer TN’s work is highlighted in the discussion. Definitely worth a listen for anyone wanting a better understanding of how and why laws get passed in our state. Find it here on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. 

• NPR’s Meribah Knight: “The moment that you talk about compromise and marginal and incremental change, it makes people so angry. …  And I remember talking to Senator Briggs, and he said it really well, he said, ‘This isn’t a battle for Republican or Democrat. This is a battle for the middle of each party.’ And I think he’s right.”

The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence in America highlights the disproportionate impact of firearm injury and death on American children compared to kids in other OECD nations. Looking at 29 high income countries in 2015, more than 9 in 10 children (ages 0‑14) who died from firearm‑related injuries lived in the United States. 

According to the Advisory, 2019 data showed that the rate of firearm mortality among children and adolescents (ages 1‑19) in the U.S. was more than 5 times the rate of firearm mortality among the same age group in Canada, about 18 times the rate in Sweden, and more than 22 times the rate in Australia.

Podcast: Old Crow Medicine Show’s Ketch Secor and policy adviser Erin Rogus discus firearms safety (The Tennessean)

We’ve Been Called To Act On The #1 Killer Of America’s Children – It’s Time For Our Nation To Answer The Call (Forbes) Safer TN advisory board member Senator Bill Frist reflects on the decision in United States v. Rahimi and the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on firearm violence in America, which make clear we have the tools to address our firearm injury epidemic.

Tennessee reps irked by state’s failure on gun safe storage campaign (TN Lookout)

‘It’s just a recipe for disaster’ | Here is what’s being done to combat the surge of Glock switches across the country (ABC 24 – Memphis)

After gun violence declared a national public emergency, community advocates urge local and state leaders to act (WBIR-TV Knoxville)

Group continues push to curb gun violence in Tennessee (ABC 24 – Memphis)

In the last week, we’ve seen two landmark developments in firearm safety.

First: On June 21, the U.S. Supreme Court found, in what will become a historic 8-1 ruling, that “[w]hen an individual has been found by a court to pose a credible threat to the physical safety of another, that individual may be temporarily disarmed consistent with the Second Amendment.”

This ruling is great news for advancing temporary transfer laws, one of Safer TN’s three policy priorities. 

Second: On June 25, the U.S Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory on firearm violence in America, declaring it an urgent public health crisis that “require[s] the nation’s immediate awareness and action.”  

This advisory brought to light compelling data on firearm injury and death, and the impact the threat of violence has had on our nation’s well-being and mental health. 

Keep reading for more details on these two major developments. 

Sincerely,

Erin Rogus
Policy Director
Voices for a Safer Tennessee

Landmark Supreme Court Ruling: United States v. Rahimi

The June 21 ruling in United States v. Rahimi was the court’s first substantial Second Amendment case since Bruen nearly two years ago. 

It’s important because:

• It overturns a dangerous lower court ruling that would have allowed those with domestic violence restraining orders to be armed.
• It will serve as an important case to support the constitutionality of temporary transfer laws, which 21 states have effectively adopted. Temporary transfer laws remove access to firearms temporarily, through a court-ordered process, for those who are in a period of crisis and pose a credible threat to themselves or others.
  • Studies show these laws reduce firearm suicides by as much as 13% and can be effective in stopping threats of mass violence.
• The ruling also clarifies the standard that lawmakers must meet for firearm regulation to satisfy constitutional scrutiny. The court held that judges do not have to find a nearly identical provision or so-called “historical twin” to justify a contemporary firearm regulation (as some have suggested following Bruen), but rather that modern laws can be based on “relevantly similar” historic firearm regulations.

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U.S. Surgeon General’s First-Ever Advisory on Firearm Violence 

This week, the U.S Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy, issued a Surgeon General’s Advisory on firearm violence in America, declaring it an urgent public health crisis that requires immediate action. The Advisory does not have the force of law, but past Surgeon General’s Advisories on issues like the dangers of tobacco have led to meaningful policy changes, increased public awareness and behavior change. 

The Advisory shares the latest data on firearm injury and death in our nation. Some of the most compelling data points include: 

• Beginning in 2020, firearm injury has become the leading cause of death for American children, surpassing motor vehicle accidents for the first time in history.
• Nearly one in five American adults report having a family member who was killed by a firearm, including by suicide.
• The U.S. has reached a near three-decade high in firearm-related deaths.

These preventable deaths are making our nation feel less safe:

• Four out of five (79%) adults in the U.S. report “experiencing stress from the possibility of a mass shooting, and half of 14-17 year olds in America reportedly worry about school shootings

We are an outlier compared to other nations:

• Looking at 29 high-income countries in 2015, more than 9 in 10 children (ages 0‑14) who died from firearm‑related injuries lived in the United States.
• We have a firearm death rate that’s 11.4 times higher than that of these other 28 nations.

This morning, Safer TN issued a news release in response to U.S. v. Rahimi and the Surgeon General’s Advisory.  Read our release here. 

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New State Firearm Safety Laws Take Effect July 1

Key legislation limiting access to firearms for some people will become effective at the start of July. These bills, supported by Safer TN, were passed by the General Assembly and signed by Gov. Bill Lee.

• Juvenile offenders who have been convicted of certain violent crimes will be banned from purchasing or owning firearms until they reach age 25.
• Defendants deemed mentally incompetent to stand trial will be barred from buying or possessing firearms and will be committed for mental health treatment if deemed a threat to themselves or the community.

Safer TN Community Presence Events

This summer, Safer TN is joining in at local festivals, parades, weekend sports, and other community events. We recently had a presence at the Murfreesboro Saturday Market, the Walnut Street Bridge Festival in Chattanooga and the Market Street Juneteenth Festival in Lebanon.

Our coalition members will be at upcoming events in Dickson (June 29), Murfreesboro (June 29) and Sewanee (July 4). Click here for more info and join us! 

And if you have an upcoming event where you’d like to see a Safer TN presence, share the event details and we’ll reach out to you to discuss next steps. 

Independence Day – Show Your Safer TN Swag! 

Wear your Safer TN button at 4th of July celebrations and parades! Tag @voices4safertn on social for a chance to win a free Safer TN car magnet. 

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Remember to Vote! 

Tennessee has the LOWEST voter turnout in the nation – meaning the elected officials who are making vital decisions about our firearm safety laws are elected by only a small fraction of Tennesseans. Tuesday, July 2 is the deadline to register to vote in the August 1 primary election. Confirm that your registration is current here, and encourage friends and family to do the same. 

Check out our list of upcoming key election & voting dates below:

The Surgeon General’s Advisory on Firearm Violence in America offers compelling evidence that secure storage of firearms saves lives. The Tennessee Department of Safety is offering free gun cable locks in every county; find where to pick one up here. 

Supreme Court upholds bar on guns under domestic-violence restraining orders (SCOTUSblog)

US surgeon general declares gun violence a public health crisis (AP News)

Police say active shooter suspect’s gun misfired when he tried to shoot coworkers (Local3 News Chattanooga) 

Children shot on I-240 face long road to recovery, mother says (Fox13 Memphis)

Supreme Court nixes ban on bump stocks for guns (Politico)

Podcast: A Novel Legal Strategy for Mass Shooting Victims’ Families (The Daily)

The Gun Lobby’s Hidden Hand in the 2nd Amendment Battle (New York Times)