Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signs bill banning Glock switches
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation on Wednesday to ban Glock switches, making Tennessee the 27th state in the nation to do so.
The legislation was sponsored by House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson and passed with bipartisan support.
Machinegun Conversion Devices or 'switches' are aftermarket gun accessories that make semi-automatic handguns or rifles fire like fully automatic weapons.
What are 'Glock switches'?
The Tennessee chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action praised the new law in statements released on Wednesday.
'Today's victory speaks volumes to the bipartisan progress that we can—and must—make together to prevent gun violence in Tennessee,' said Linda McFadyen-Ketchum, a volunteer with the Tennessee chapter of Moms Demand Action. 'Banning Glock switches is just common sense — these devices turn everyday guns into illegal machine guns, and they have no place in our communities. This win is a meaningful step toward making Tennessee safer for everyone.'
According to a release from the nonprofit organization Everytown for Gun Safety, Tennessee has the 11th-highest rate of gun deaths and the 8th-highest rate of gun homicide in the U.S.
'Banning Glock switches is bad news for criminals who want to inflict maximum damage with a single pull of the trigger, and lifesaving news for law enforcement and the communities they're charged with protecting,' said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety. 'We applaud Tennessee lawmakers for forging a bipartisan response to the threat of Glock switches, and urge them to keep working together on common-sense solutions to gun violence.'
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