Sen. Raumesh Akbari: Permitless carry effort ‘endangers every Tennessean’
NASHVILLE — Sen. Raumesh Akbari (D-Memphis) will oppose Gov. Bill Lee’s legislative effort to allow people in the state to carry firearms without a permit.
“Whether you live in a city or a suburb, no family is made safer by laws that encourage more untrained and unlicensed people to carry lethal firearms,” Akbari said. “Tennesseans support the 2nd Amendment, but they also believe firmly in responsible gun ownership and policies, like mandatory background checks, that promote accountability. Permitless carry is a bad idea that endangers every Tennessean.”
States that have passed permitless carry legislation have seen a substantial increase in firearm violence, according to Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.
- In 2003, Alaska became the first state to enact permitless carry legislation. Aggravated assaults committed with a firearm have increased incrementally since the law went into effect. Since 2003, the rate of aggravated assaults committed with a firearm in the state increased by 82 percent by 2017. That increase represents 526 more gun-related aggravated assaults committed in 2017 than in 2003.
- Since Arizona enacted permitless carry legislation in 2010, the rate of aggravated assaults committed with a firearm in the state increased by 39 percent by 2017. That increase represents 1,797 more gunrelated aggravated assaults committed in 2017 than in 2010.
- After Missouri passed a permitless carry bill in January 2017, the city of St. Louis experienced a nearly 25 percent increase in the rate of aggravated assaults with a gun in 2017 compared to 2016. That represents 484 more gun-related aggravated assaults in 2017 than in 2016.
Everytown For Gun Safety is an independent, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization that conducts research to support polices that reduce gun violence in America.
