The impact of the NRA on Tennessee politics

Several bars along Broadway posted signs welcoming NRA members and some bars also posted no guns allowed. (Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean)
Several bars along Broadway posted signs welcoming NRA members and some bars also posted no guns allowed. (Photo: Shelley Mays/The Tennessean)

by Dave Boucher

The number of homes with a gun might be declining, but the power of the National Rifle Association across the country and in Tennessee certainly is not.

The gun-rights advocacy organization boasts roughly 5 million members nationwide, including an estimated 100,000 in Tennessee, said NRA spokeswoman Jennifer Baker. They have influential lobbyists at the state Capitol, and a track record of picking off at least one influential member of the Republican party who stepped out of line.

Here's a quick look at the impact of the NRA on Tennessee politics.

Why the NRA matters

At 5 million members, the organization is one of the largest advocacy groups in the country. That power equates to money. The NRA's national political action committee spent more than $31 million during the 2014 election cycle, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

That doesn't mean it spends a great deal in Tennessee. State campaign finance records show the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund PAC spent only a combined $3,950 over the course of 2013 and 2014.

But former Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen, a Democrat, recently said that "obviously, the NRA has always been the poster child" when it comes to questions about political spending by outside interest groups.

Why the NRA matters in Tennessee

In a state dominated by Republican politics, NRA members are a key demographic that GOP candidates need to court. State elections are rapidly boiling down to who can win in a Republican primary. NRA members are passionate about the Second Amendment and generally weigh a candidate's position on guns when voting.

In no small part, that's translated to loosening restrictions on when and where you can take guns in Tennessee. More than 500,000 people have handgun carry permits in the state, and that number continues to grow. They can carry the guns openly or concealed in many places across the state, including in many bars and other private businesses.

The chief national lobbyist for the NRA claimed victory when Gov. Bill Haslam recently signed the controversial guns-in-parks bill.

"Law-abiding Tennesseans have a fundamental right to protect themselves, whether in their homes, or in parks. This will remove a patchwork of laws throughout the state that could have turned law-abiding citizens into unintentional criminals," the NRA's Chris Cox said in a statement. "On behalf of the NRA's 5 million members, we want to thank Senator John Stevens, along with Representatives Mike Harrison and Tilman Goins for their leadership in this effort."

Gun rights advocates also heralded a bill to empower employees to sue their employers if they're fired for the sole reason of having a gun in their car while at work.

Some issues, like the right to carry a gun without a permit, are supported by the NRA and other groups like the Tennessee Firearms Association but continue to fail at the state Capitol.

That's not necessarily due to efforts by gun-control groups. Although organizations like Everytown USA, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America and the Safe Tennessee Project have rallied against gun bills, gun control groups haven't spent significant lobbying or campaign money in Tennessee in the last two years, according to state campaign finance records.

What about the election results?

Recent examples show some of the local clout of the NRA.

Debra Maggart was the House Republican Caucus chairwoman, one of the most powerful positions at the statehouse. But the NRA spent more than $100,000 to help a first-time candidate oust the GOP leader after Maggart opposed a bill allowing people to keep guns in their cars wherever they went.

Before the election, Maggart was a lifetime member of the NRA and had the entity's coveted A+ rating. But after opposing one gun bill - and arguably some vulnerability from other issues - she was out of the statehouse. "I think you can attribute that (loss) to the NRA," said GOP consultant Tom Ingram.

Other gun organizations, like the Tennessee Firearms Association, think the NRA is too conservative in its push for gun law changes. The TFA has gone after lawmakers as well, with less success. It tried to defeat House Finance, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Charles Sargent, R-Franklin, accusing him of holding up a bill to allow Tennesseans to carry firearms without a permit. It failed.

But the same bill and other guns bills died in a different committee this year: the House Civil Justice Subcommittee. It wouldn't be a surprise for the TFA or NRA to note the reluctance of the Republicans on the subcommittee to support their legislation.

This year lawmakers specifically drew up a bill to nix any local bans on guns so that it would take effect in time for the NRA's massive annual convention, held last month. While some lawmakers coyly said they didn't have a specific event in mind for the effective date, House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, acknowledged the date was in recognition of the NRA event. Haslam signed the bill April 24.

Reach Dave Boucher at 615-259-8892 or dboucher@tennessean.com and on Twitter @Dave_Boucher1.

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