View online| Forward to a friendSponsored by The Higgins FirmWednesday, March 11, 2026Good morning! 
As an investigative reporter, I think a lot about impact. Ideally, the work sheds light on a problem, and that helps the problem get fixed.
In some states, impact can be immediate. An investigation comes out, state lawmakers take note and quickly pass a fix for whatever the reporting uncovered.
But I had to learn that impact looks different in a place like Tennessee. It’s often slower, taking years instead of weeks, and more gradual — small steps, instead of giant leaps.
That’s especially true when it comes to guns.
I spent nearly three years investigating the systemic problems that allow people who are prohibited from having guns to still have access to them.
We found that roughly one in four domestic violence shooting victims were shot by someone who was legally barred from having a firearm.
Recently, there was a small step taken to fix one of the loopholes we uncovered.
But advocates are once again left wondering – was it enough?
WHAT TO KNOW
Photo illustration by Lisa Larson-Walker/ProPublica. Source images: Protective orders obtained by WPLN; lithograph by George Bellows via Wikimedia Commons; supremecourt.gov; California Department of Justice Firearms Safety Certificate Manual
For years, advocates have asked the Domestic Violence State Coordinating Council to alter a state form. It’s called a firearms dispossession affidavit, and it’s required in cases where an abuser is court ordered to give up their guns.
But the form doesn’t require the name of the person the abuser gives their guns to, making it impossible to know if the abuser dispossessed of their weapon, or if the person they gave it to is legally allowed to have a gun. Advocates say it’s a dangerous loophole that puts victims in danger.
At their last meeting, the DV council finally voted on the issue. But instead of uniformly changing the form for all courtrooms across the state, the group voted to recommend that individual county judges change the form themselves.
“It’s disappointing to see that a body that is there to really create change for domestic violence victims and survivors wouldn’t use its authority to make such a small change that could have an impact in this work,” says Becky Bullard with Nashville’s Office of Family Safety.
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MORE TO KNOW
- Two Democratic lawmakers are relaunching an effort to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and up — and use the proceeds to fund transportation projects. They’re calling the effort “Pot for potholes.” Senator Heidi Campbell and Representative Aftyn Behn, both of Nashville, attempted to pass similar legislation last year, but it stalled. Now they’re promoting the idea more publicly, with a website, petition, and videos.
- Tennessee has a near-total ban on abortions, but a majority of residents agree with certain exceptions that aren’t currently in the law. That’s according to new data collected by a longtime D.C. pollster on behalf of a reproductive rights group, the Tennessee Freedom Circle Education Fund. The poll included 600 likely voters whose political affiliations mirrored those of Tennessee at large.
- Attorneys for a man scheduled for execution this year say he is no longer legally competent due to mental illness. They say his condition has declined so far that it would be unlawful to carry out his death sentence. Tony Carruthers was convicted in 1996 of kidnapping and murdering three people. The Nashville Banner reports that he refuses to comply with psychiatric evaluations, so any arguments about his mental health are based only on the observations of the lawyers involved in the case. As of now, Carruthers is scheduled for execution on May 21st.
FROM THIS IS NASHVILLE
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