NASHVILLE - A Republican-run House panel delayed on Wednesday Democrats' gun bills until its final meeting, including a measure to ban gun bump stocks in Tennessee. Panel members then refused to hear testimony from two survivors of last year's mass shooting in Las Vegas.
Civil Justice Subcommittee Chairman Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, moved the bump stock bill, sponsored by Rep. Dwayne Thompson, D-Cordova, to the panel's final hearing at the request of Majority Leader Glen Casada, R-Franklin.
Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, then sought to let two survivors of the Las Vegas shooting who had traveled to Nashville from outside Tennessee to speak against bump stocks - the devices used by a gunman to fully automate rifles used in the Oct. 1 Las Vegas massacre - to go ahead and testify, thus avoiding the need to have them return to Tennessee.
"We've already rolled the bill," Carter told Beck. "There's nothing to discuss. It'd be inappropriate for us to take testimony today on a bill no longer before us. I'm not sure it's ever been done to my recognition. So I appreciate you being here and certainly look forward to having you when the bill comes back."
State Rep. Mike Carter addresses a question during a legislative breakfast Thursday, Jan. 4, 2018 at the Doubletree Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn. Several items were discussed during the breakfast ranging from local mandates and education funding to correctional facilities and the opioid epidemic. Beck objected, saying he recalled instances in which someone was able to testify when the pertinent bill was not before a committee. "I think we should give these people the same courtesy on other bills that were not before us."
Carter disagreed, saying he didn't recall ever allowing that.
"Certainly we don't allow testimony out of order, how do we associate testimony with your bill two weeks, three weeks, four weeks from now? You're certainly welcome to be back" or have the witnesses provide written testimony."
Retorted Beck: "I disagree Mr. Chairman, and I leave in protest."
Rep. G.A. Hardaway, D-Memphis, also left.
Proponents of the bill banning bump stocks had wanted Chris Stephens, who tours with country music artist Jason Aldean and was present at the Las Vegas shooting, and Kari Kuefler, who was also present at the concert, to testify.
Thompson, the bill's sponsor, later called the bill's move to the final meeting "puzzling," saying he doesn't consider it a "gun bill."
"We're not trying to ban or even regulate any firearm," Thompson said. "We just want to ban a device by the Las Vegas shooting, which killed 58 people and caused 851 people to be injured, that this is something that should be banned. We should keep it out of our society. We know what the damage can be."
He called bump stocks, which cost about $150, a "cheap way" to convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machine guns.
Regarding not allowing the witnesses to testify, Thompson said that "personally, I believe that the powers that be behind the scenes, the gun lobby, has let it be known to them that they don't want this bill to be heard. They definitely don't want it to be passed."
"They should be able to speak," he said.
Casada said he asked for the bill to be delayed because he wants to see first what the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives does regarding bump stocks. President Trump has asked the agency to ban the devices.
"I have not made up my mind on bump stocks," Casada said. "So I'm looking forward to the debate if and when the ATF comes up with their decision."
He later noted he had not made up his mind about whether it should be legal or not.
"I don't know if that's something that should be taken or not from a law-abiding citizen. So, we're going to see what the ATF does and go from there."
If the ATF doesn't issue any policy, Casada said the subcommittee can take up the issue at its last meeting.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.