Senator Jim Tracy Addresses Nashville Chapter

On July 15, Senator Jim Tracy talked with the Nashville TFA Chapter (open to all) about how to be more effective when contacting your legislators and also why good Second Amendment legislation is getting killed in the House of Representatives by individuals such as Jimmy Naifeh.  It was interesting to hear Sen. Tracy talk about effectiveness when data shows that he is increasingly one of the more effective legislators in Tennessee.

http://www.statesurge.com/members/1028 (Tracy)

Compare that with data on legislators such as, well Jimmy Naifeh, and you see a difference in the quality of legislation that Sen. Tracy supports but also his effectiveness in passing the legislation that he does support.

http://www.statesurge.com/members/1101 (Naifeh)

What are 3 quick points we learned from Senator Tracy?

1) Phone calls directly to your senator or representative are most effective (compared to faxes, emails, etc) and perhaps second only to personal visits (by appointment).  They primarily need to know the bill number, the issue addressed in the bill and whether you, as a constituent, support or oppose the bill.

2) Phone calls to committee members make a difference. As with the above, keep it short with bill number, topic and support or oppose.

3) Apathy and disgust do not work. If you want to help improve the system or change it, you must take an active role which includes not only voting but a) voting intelligently (know the records) and b) staying involved vocally and personally once the election is over.

Jimmy Naifeh

The Tennessee Republican Party highlight’s TFA’s work on Jimmy Naifeh in July 9, 2008, press release ...

http://www.tngop.org/wordpress/2008/07/09/speaker-naifeh-lied-about-having-gun-permit/#more-190

NASHVILLE, TN - Public records show that Tennessee House Speaker Jimmy Naifeh lied in order to give himself political cover for his attack gun rights legislation during the last legislative session....

TFA wishes to thank Robin Smith and the TN GOP for helping bring the true facts to the public’s attention concerning the circumstances of Jimmy Naifeh’s actions.

Here are archived video clips highlighting Jimmy Naifeh in action:

http://www.tfaonline.org/downloads/session042705.mpeg - video of House Session on 4/27/05 where Rep. Chris Newton (R. and Naifeh supporter at the time) was asking on the full floor, presumably at the direction of Jimmy Naifeh or his shadow operatives, that the restaurant gun bill which his subcommittee had recently approved be sent back to subcommittee and Naifeh’s ruling on that request being challenged by Rep. Hargett.

http://www.tfaonline.org/downloads/session042805.wmv - video of House session on 4/28/05 when Rep. Casada (R.) and Naifeh were debating procedure on events of 4/27/05 - extensive talk by Naifeh about why it was appropriate to send the bill back to subcommittee.

http://www.tfaonline.org/downloads/session052505.wmv - video of House session on 5/22/05 where Naifeh comes down from his traditional station and speaks persistently against the gun bills and calls the NRA lobbyist Darren LaSorte - “that guy” at about 22 minutes in when Naifeh speaks about “threats” to him and other legislators from the NRA.

http://www.tfaonline.org/downloads/wsmv050305.wmv News Channel 5 reports concerning Naifeh and Todd relative to restaurant bills from May 3, 2005.

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