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This coming week will be big for Gun Sense and we need your help. Please pitch in and do your part letting our lawmakers know what you want them to do.

Votes will happen on Tuesday, so please call/email Monday or Tuesday morning early.

Disclaimer: The following information is for TN Moms Demand Action volunteer-members who are part of the chapter's Legislative Rapid Response team. Anything shared herein is "off the record" and is not to be shared, copied or forwarded. The use any of this information for publication in the press or social media is strictly forbidden. If you need clarification, please email [email protected].

HB 1233/SB 1029–This is our safe storage in vehicles bill. It would require people leaving their guns in their cars to lock them up securely and out of sight. It would also require someone whose gun was stolen from their car to report the theft within 24 hours. The penalty for either failure to secure your gun or failure to report its theft is attending a gun safety class. We want these legislators to vote FOR it. Please call and email all of them.

Rep. Clay Doggett, (615) 741-7476, [email protected]

Rep. Dan Howell, (615) 741-7799, [email protected]Rep. Bud Hulsey, (615) 741-2886, [email protected]Rep. William Lamberth (615) 741-1980, [email protected]Rep. Lowell Russell, (615) 741-3736, [email protected]Rep. Paul Sherrill, (615) 741-1963, [email protected]

HB 1005/SB 1503–This bill lowers the age for permitless carry to 18 and expands gun carry to long guns, not just handguns.We want these lawmakers to vote AGAINST this bill.  

HB 1202/SB 1325– Allows teachers to carry guns in our public schools. Currently, teachers and law enforcement officers may go armed in our public schools as long as:–they have completed basic police training–they have an enhanced carry permit, and–the local education agency has adopted a policy allowing them to do so

This bill expands the presence of guns in schools by allowing teachers to carry, even those who have not had law enforcement training.

We want lawmakers to vote AGAINST arming more teachers in public schools.

Call all of these Senators and ask them to VOTE AGAINST SB 1503 AND SB1325.

Sen. Paul Rose, (615) 741-1967, [email protected]Sen. Brent Taylor, (615) 741-3036, [email protected]

Sen. Todd Gardenhire, (615) 741-6682, [email protected]

Sen. Jon Lundberg, (615) 741-5761, [email protected]

Sen. Dawn White, (615) 741-6853, [email protected]

And finally, please sign this sign-on letter opposing arming teachers and share it with your friends and family.

Thank you for your dedication to saving lives in Tennessee.

Local News:

Athens Area Council for the Arts House Blend Concert Series

continues with Crooners of the 1950s, Friday March 24th and 25th at

7:30 pm at The Arts Center in Athens. The lobby opens at 6:30 pm.

Light hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar are included with tickets and refreshments are available with seating at 7 pm. The five local crooners

performing are Josh Bragg, Tim Frazier, Rusty Patterson, Dave Siklosi, and Michael Webb. Musical accompaniment will be provided by

guest artists Mike Dannell (piano), Sylvia Gossett (piano), Andrew

Kimball (drums), Ellen Kimball (piano), and Pam Thigpen (bass).

Music direction is by Andrew Kimball and the show is produced by

Art Kimball. Seating for this concert is at tables and patrons may purchase reserved seats to be assigned to a table or patrons may purchase

an entire table. Reserved seats start at $17.50 for adults and $12.50 for

students, and are available at athensartscouncil.org, or The Arts Center at 320 North White Street, Athens, TN. Tickets may also be purchased over the phone with a credit card by calling 423-745-8781. 

McMinn County Democratic Party is re-organizing!

Collectively, we will choose our MCDP leadership for the next two years. We need everyone to come out and exercise their voice!

Please save the date to join us on Saturday, March 25th, 2023 at The McMinn Senior Center (205 McMinn Ave. in Athens) for the MCDP Reorganization event. Doors will open at 9am for registration. 

We'll caucus by our 5 county districts, elect two (male/female/nonbinary) representatives per district, then elect officers [chair, vice-chairs, treasurer, and secretary]. Estimated time is approximately 1.5-2 hours.

Please put this date on your calendar and be sure to join us!

The Arts: