BREAKING

'It makes no sense': Strickland, Rallings, Weirich slam Gov. Bill Lee's permitless carry gun proposal

Micaela A Watts
The Commercial Appeal

Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings came out in strong opposition to Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's proposed legislation that would end the permit requirement for firearm owners who wish to carry their guns in public. 

Speaking from the Memphis Police Department's administrative headquarters in Downtown Memphis, Rallings said that while he is a strong supporter of second amendment rights, Lee's proposal will almost certainly endanger more lives in Memphis and across Tennessee.

"The law does allow law-abiding citizens to carry guns, but the law also allows for those with nefarious intentions to carry guns," Rallings said. "I predict that if this is passed, you will see an increase in gun violence across the state."

Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings addresses the media about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's proposed legislation on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Rallings, surrounded by top MPD brass, spoke for roughly 11 minutes, listing his predictions for impending increased violent offenses. While speaking, he flipped through a binder holding newspaper clippings that covered the deaths of the 11 children killed by gunfire in Memphis in 2019. 

"What bothers me," Rallings said, "is that there are 71,000 people in Memphis with gun permits. There was already a pathway to support the second amendment and carry a gun. We just ask that you go through a background check, and through training."

Rallings' comments came late afternoon on Thursday, and before his remarks, elected officials in Memphis had already blasted Lee's proposed initiative.

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy Weirich was among the first in Memphis to come out in strong opposition.

The reaction from Weirich, a Republican district attorney, joined elected officials, business owners, and lawmakers across Tennessee Thursday morning after news of the governor's announcement. 

Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings addresses the media about Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's proposed legislation on Thursday, February 27, 2020.

Weirich said she was in favor of part of the legislation that calls for stricter penalties for gun thefts. But the idea of any citizen carrying a lethal weapon with no requirements for training, Weirich said,  "makes no sense" in a large urban area. 

"Is it really asking too much for someone to get a permit to carry a deadly weapon on our streets? First it was guns in cars. Now it is guns in hands," said Weirich, referencing the passage of the 2013 gun rights law that allowed gun owners with a permit to store guns in their personal vehicles. 

Shelby County District Attorney General Amy P. Weirich addresses the media about the ongoing effort to control overall violent crime in Memphis on Friday Jan. 17, 2020.

Since the law's passage in 2013, the rate of gun thefts out of vehicles soared across the state. 

Memphis Police Department Director Michael Rallings has linked the passage of the law with the increase in road rage-inspired interstate shootings in Shelby County, that have forced law enforcement to combat the problem with special multi-agency initiatives like Operation: Grizzly Bear. 

Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland weighed in Thursday afternoon, and said Lee's so-called "constitutional carry" initiative will take Memphis in the wrong direction.

"In a time when mass shootings have skyrocketed across the country, the thought of allowing people to openly carry a gun without a permit or proper training takes us in the wrong direction," Strickland said. 

Like Weirich, Strickland said he did appreciate the aspect of the proposed legislation that would enact stiffer penalties for gun thefts, he fears the legislation would "make Memphians less safe and our police officers more vulnerable."

Nashville's district attorney also weighed in on Thursday shortly after Lee's announcement of the initiative, and said gun owners "must come with a responsibility."

"Encouraging Tennesseans to arm themselves in public, without even requiring gun safety classes will result in a more dangerous environment for Tennessee families,” said Davidson County district attorney Glenn Funk. 

So-called permitless gun laws have been appearing in state legislatures across the country. At least 16 states allow some form of permitless carry, according to the National Rifle Association. 

Lee's plans diverge sharply with his predecessor, former Gov. Bill Haslam. When a similar measure was introduced in 2016, Haslam and his political appointees — including the head of the Tennessee Highway Patrol, opposed the measure. It was ultimately defeated before it could advance out of a legislative committee. 

MPD was not able to immediately respond to a request for comment regarding Lee's proposed legislation. 

Shelby County Sheriff Floyd Bonner Jr. said he had no comment at this time. 

Tennessean reporters Anita Wadhwani and Jamie McGee contributed to this story.