All bills for the 2025 legislative session have now been filed, with over 1400 bills introduced and 94 related to firearms. These proposals cover a range of issues that could have significant impacts on firearm safety in Tennessee. Voices for a Safer Tennessee remains committed to advancing solutions that protect our communities while respecting Second Amendment rights.
The work now begins. Our team will carefully review every firearm-related bill, analyzing each one in detail to understand it in full. After a thorough assessment, we will determine which bills to support or oppose, ensuring that we advocate for policies rooted in data and driven by the goal of saving lives.
The General Assembly is back – and so are we
As the Tennessee General Assembly reconvened for their first week of regular session, Safer TN volunteers made their presence known in meaningful ways across the Capitol. Armed with cookies and comprehensive copies of our annual report, our advocates personally visited legislative offices to establish early connections with representatives. We will be back next week to deliver cookies and our annual report to state senators.
The impact of grassroots advocacy was particularly evident when community members from Memphis joined us for our first “day on the Hill” of 2025. These dedicated citizens didn’t just show up – they shared powerful, personal stories that brought statistics to life. They sat down with their district representatives and spoke candidly about the real-world impact of gun violence in their communities. Parents described the emotional toll of their children coming home with stories of yet another lockdown drill and detailed specific incidents of firearm violence that have affected their neighborhoods and homes.
These face-to-face meetings accomplished something crucial: they transformed abstract policy discussions into deeply personal conversations about community safety and well-being. Our volunteers didn’t just advocate for change – they put human faces and real experiences behind the statistics and policy proposals that legislators will be considering this session.
Make your valentine for Antioch High by Wednesday!
Safer TN is creating 2,500 Valentines for Antioch High School to be delivered on Feb. 13. You can participate in person for a family-friendly Valentine-making event on Tuesday, Feb. 11, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at The Temple, 5015 Harding Pike in Belle Meade. You can also participate from home. Learn more at our Antioch valentines page.
Veterans’ Bourbon-Tasting Event
Safer TN hosted a successful bourbon-tasting event in East Nashville, bringing together about 50 veterans committed to fostering a safer Tennessee. While experts in firearm safety, our veteran community tragically faces a disproportionate risk of firearm-related suicide. That evening we repeatedly heard that their commitment to protect our nation extends to a commitment to protect themselves, their families, their fellow veterans, and their communities by helping Safer TN create a better future.
Interested in hosting an informational session or taking action in another way? Visit our newly revamped Take Action page to explore all the ways you can make a difference in creating a safer Tennessee.
The Trace has created an interactive website that can show how firearm shootings have impacted neighborhoods across the U.S. You can enter your hometown and see firearm incidents between January 1, 2014 and December 31, 2024 mapped at the street level.
Gun buyer charged with shooting gun seller in Bojangles parking lot (NewsChannel 9 Chattanooga)
Violence reduction nonprofit reacts to Knoxville shooting that injured child (WATE Knoxville)
Security measures at Green Hills mall after deadly robbery, shooting (WSMV Nashville)
‘Why not me?’: Mom shot while trying to save 1-year-old killed in domestic shooting (WSMV Nashville)
15-year-old dies from injuries in weekend shooting at shop (ClarksvilleNow.com)
Man carrying rifle shot by Memphis cop (Commercial Appeal)
