Do you have a handgun permit? If you do, prior to today (July 1, 2013) you could jump on the internet and go to any one of several newspaper websites to verify if your handgun permit is valid. You can no longer do that. State lawmakers closed a loophole in the Volunteer state that allowed for newspapers and other media outlets to post information about gun permit holders online. The change is officially implemented today (July 1, 2013).
In New York, a Gannett owned paper published gun permit holder names AND addresses online. They even went as far as creating an online map showing where each permit holder lives. In Tennessee, the Memphis Commercial Appeal Newspaper had a search key on their website that allowed internet visitors to look up permit holders living in our state. Despite the change in law, that database was still searchable as of 6:30, Monday morning.
State Senator Jim Tracy and Senator Bill Ketron discussed with WGNS the new bill that is supposed to put an end to the online posting…
According to the bill, "This bill specifies that it will not prohibit release of the handgun permit statistical reports that include the number of permits issued, denied, revoked, or suspended by the department during the preceding month, listed by age, gender and zip code of the applicant or permit holder and the reason for any permit revocation or suspension."
The bill will be implemented in TODAY (July 1, 2013).
Source:
TN General Assembly
Senator Bill Ketron (Republican)
Senator Jim Tracy (Republican)
