Tennessee bill would jail journalists for publishing info about someone's gun permit
A startling bill approved by a Senate committee in Tennessee would not only make concealed-weapons permits secret (as in many other states), but would make it a felony to publish any information about someone who has a gun permit or is even applying for one. This is flabbergasting. It's crucial this information be open and available for journalists and citizens to make sure criminals aren't allowed to secretly pack guns, which is a common problem exposed by journalists who examine the permit records. To jail someone for publishing the information is just wrong, a form of prior restraint, and likely to be ruled unconstitutional. The House is awaiting an opinion from the state attorney general before considering action on a similar bill. As an NRA member (I support all of the amendments, not just the First), I'm just baffled at how this gun permit paranoia is getting out of control. I would think gun-rights proponents, including the
NRA, which professes support for the Constitution and Bill of Rights, would want to limit government secrecy and power, not increase it.