Sen. Doug Jackson, D-Dickson, has filed legislation that would ban the sale of “microstamped” firearms and ammunition, calling them an infringement on the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
California has passed a law mandating microstamping of firearms, “and I predict that Tennessee will pass a law banning it,” Sen. Jackson said.
Called the “Second Amendment Protection Act,” the bill would outlaw sale of firearms and ammunition that are laser-engraved, or microstamped, to identify the buyer of the firearm or ammunition after it has been shot.
“This process does little to track criminals, but it does a lot to eclipse our Second Amendment right to bear arms,” Sen. Jackson said.
Microstamping would lead to the establishment of a registry or database of gun-owners who are guilty of nothing more than owning a gun, the senator noted. “A firearm registry is a preamble to gun confiscation. And the law-abiding American gun owner would have to pay the added costs it would incur.”
He said the legislation "points out that microstamping would do little to fight or solve crime" because:
Most guns used to commit crimes are purchased illegally, many of them stolen, so a microstamp ID would be meaningless.
Microstamping can easily be removed from a firearm with simple tools.
Most guns do not eject shell casings, which is where the microstamp mark is found.
Microstamping wastes money that could be used on proven crime-fighting methods that give results.
“Just last year, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that each citizen has a constitutional right to bear arms,” Sen. Jackson said. “But we have to be diligent if we are to protect that right.
“Microstamping is meaningless technology that threatens the Second Amendment.”
Sen. Jackson filed the legislation Feb. 12 as Senate Bill No. 1908. If passed, it would amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 39, Chapter 17, Part 13.
Sen. Jackson represents Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Humphreys, Lawrence and Lewis Counties.