Ramsey would support legislative abolishment of concealed-gun rules (Echos Haslam statement)

[shadowrider]

Repeating a controversial statement that Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam, the Republican Party’s gubernatorial candidate, made earlier this week, Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said he would sign legislation abolishing the state’s conceal carry permit requirements.

“If a majority of the legislature said that’s where we need to go then I’m certainly not going to stand in their way,” said Ramsey, who in 1997 carried a bill through the Tennessee General Assembly that streamlined the state’s permit system.

Haslam offered his statements on the conceal carry permit during a Monday night meeting with members of the Tennessee Firearms Association. On Tuesday, he publicly clarified his position in a written statement sent to The Associated Press.

“When asked if I would sign legislation passed by the General Assembly that would change the current conceal carry permit system,” Haslam said in the statement, “I acknowledged that if the legislature decided that, that was the best course then I would be willing to sign it.”

The remarks have drawn large amounts of criticism from state politicians, including Democrat Mike McWherter, who is Haslam’s opponent in governor’s race and held a news conference Friday at the Mount Carmel Courthouse.

“I think it’s irresponsible and I think it’s something the voters need to know about,” McWherter, a small business owner from Jackson, Tenn., said Friday. “I would not want my children or spouse going to a mall knowing that there were people there who were carrying a weapon and had not had a background check.”

http://www2.tricities.com/news/2010/oct/22/ramsey-would-support-legislative-abolishment-conce-ar-581431/

[PavePusher]

1. Mr. McWherter apparently thinks criminals do not exist.

“I think it’s irresponsible and I think it’s something the voters need to know about,” McWherter, a small business owner from Jackson, Tenn., said Friday. “I would not want my children or spouse going to a mall knowing that there were people there who were carrying a weapon and had not had a background check.”


He'd better avoid Vermont, Alaska and Arizona, all the legal non-checked civil rights supporters are ruining those places. Oops, I mean...

[RSillsbee]

2. Mike McWherter

What makes Mr. McWherter think there aren't people who haven't undergone a background check carrying firearms at the mall now?

[kwikrnu]

3. background checks

Background checks should be done yearly on everyone older than five years old.

[SteveM]

4. Should be performed on criminals. Oh, wait, they don't do BG...