Tennessee Gun Dealers and Safety Instructors Say No to Permitless Carry

An article in the Nashville Ledger published yesterday highlighted many gun safety instructors’ opposition to permitless carry legislation, which would eliminate the handgun permitting system that ensures people carrying concealed guns in public know how to use a gun and will behave responsibly. If you’d like to interview a Moms Demand Action volunteer on this topic, please reach out. 

The Ledger’s Kathy Carlson writes: 

“It’s highly likely that lawmakers will hear from the same groups and individuals who unsuccessfully opposed the 2019 law making it easier to obtain a handgun concealed-carry permit. Their main point centered on public safety requiring more extensive, hands-on handgun training than the 2019 bill required in order to obtain a concealed-carry permit.

…

Many speaking out against the new bill held carry permits themselves.”

The article underscores gun safety instructors’ concerns that stripping the permitting system will dismantle responsible gun ownership. One gun safety instructor quoted said, “Before I taught the Tennessee Enhanced Permit Class, I was very much for constitutional carry. After instructing the (eight-hour) class, I have a much different view.”

Last year, volunteers with Moms Demand Action stood with a coalition of gun safety instructors in opposition to a bill that weakened the permitting system’s training requirement. Ninety-three percent of recent Tennessee voters support requiring a permit to carry a loaded handgun in public — including 92 percent of Republicans and 91 percent of gun-owning households.