Senate confirms education board member with ties to gun ammo company
Senate Democrats voiced sturdy opposition to Tennessee Gov. Invoice Lee’s latest appointment to the State Instruction board, criticizing the nominee’s possession of an on the web gun ammunition seller.
Knoxville’s Jordan Mollenhour, who’s been serving as a Condition Board of Education and learning member considering the fact that his appointment in November 2021, is the founder and operator of Lucky Gunner. The business, founded in 2009, sells firearm ammunition online.
Fortunate Gunner has faced multiple lawsuits around the a long time. The corporation has been joined to the selling of ammunition involved in two mass shootings.
The most recent lawsuit involves no matter whether the firm can be held civilly responsible for selling ammunition to a 17-yr-previous who fatally shot 10 persons at his Santa Fe, Texas superior faculty in 2018. The organization denied wrongdoing, according to a report from the Dallas Early morning Information.
It really is against the legislation for anyone beneath 18 decades aged to purchase gun ammunition.
The firm was also sued for selling more than 4,000 rounds of ammo to the person who fatally shot 12 persons at a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, in 2012. A federal decide dismissed the Colorado lawsuit in 2015.
“There are approximately 7 million individuals in Tennessee definitely to God the governor could have located a single point out board of education and learning nominee who’s not in ongoing litigation about illegally promoting ammunition employed in a lethal university taking pictures,” Senate Minority Jeff Yarbro, D-Nashville, stated.
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Mollenhour represents District 2 on the Tennessee Board of Education and learning. The seat covers his hometown of Knoxville together with several other east Tennessee counties.
In an electronic mail to The Tennessean, Mollenhour claimed anti-gun groups are applying his nomination as an chance to “attack the 2nd amendment when once more.”
“I achieved out to a amount of today’s critics several weeks back and supplied to answer any questions,” Mollenhour reported. “I didn’t get a single question which only confirms that their antics these days have practically nothing to do with info. It was political theatre.”
He demands Senate and Property confirmation for his appointment to turn into long term.
Casey Black, the spokesperson for Gov. Monthly bill Lee, claimed in an e mail that the governor has total assurance in Mullenhour.
Mollenhour will chair a new study committee on career/technical education and workforce progress.
The Senate voted along get together lines 26-6 to confirm Mollenhour’s appointment to the state board of education. The House will vote on Mollenhour’s nomination on March 14.
Adam Friedman is The Tennessean’s state governing administration and politics reporter. Attain him by e-mail at [email protected].
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