A Republican-backed bill to alter Tennessee’s firearms dispossession form was pushed to 2026 after opposition from the National Rifle Association.
“I thought it was just a dunk, to tell you the truth. I did not see this coming,” said Rep. Kelly Keisling, R-Byrdstown, who was co-sponsor of the legislation. “I really did not.”
The legislation was inspired by WPLN and ProPublica’s reporting in rural Scott County, where the court system requires a person who is ordered to give up their guns to identify who they are giving them to.
It may seem like a minor administrative change, but Tennessee is one of few states that allows someone under a court order to give their guns to a third party without any confirmation. As a result, someone could say they gave up their guns but still have access to them. Advocates say that puts domestic violence victims in particular at risk.
Keisling, who represents Scott County and is a member of the NRA, said he did not feel this bill infringed on Second Amendment rights.
The bill first showed signs of trouble in the house Judiciary Committee. Keisling was out having a heart procedure, and the representative who was expected to present the bill found out about opposition from the NRA and Tennessee Firearms Association and asked to roll it to 2026. That means the bill is still in play for next year.
“I am going to personally reach out to both organizations and associations and just say, ‘Hey, is there anything that we can do without jeopardizing the true intent of this and protecting folks?’” Keisling said.
The stakes are high in Tennessee. The state consistently has one of the highest rates of women killed by men, and most of those homicides are committed with guns.
WPLN and ProPublica investigations over the last few years have found that the state’s lax gun laws and enforcement allow firearms to remain in dangerous hands. Our analysis of homicide data and court records has found that about one in four people killed in domestic violence gun homicides were killed by someone who was barred from having a firearm.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM