Tilman Goins

Goins' political philosophy is one of personal liberty and limited government. As such, many of the bills sponsored by Goins focused on limiting government involvement in business and personal affairs.

A champion of criminal justice reform, Goins' legislative record includes passing legislation that dedicates criminal justice resources toward those that offended against others. Expanding electronic monitoring funding is an investment that Goins said allows jail space to be free of first-time, lower-level offenders who might be rehabilitated for those repeat violent offenders. Goins sponsored and passed several legislative efforts aimed at enhancing penalties for violent criminals while also making it easier for non-violent, low-level offenders to be reintroduced as productive members of society.

Goins championed many 2nd Amendment initiatives while serving in the Tennessee House of Representatives. Goins sponsored and passed several bills to remove state level prohibitions on certain firearms restrictions while in office.

• In 2017 Goins’ Tennessee Hearing Protection Act removed the state’s prohibition on firearm suppressors.[6][7]
• In 2016 Goins wrote and passed legislation allowing private schools in Tennessee to determine their own policy as it pertains to firearms.[8] During controversial debates on rather or not teachers in colleges or K-12 schools should be able to carry a firearm for protection, Goins argued that at a minimum, the state should not be standing in the way of private schools' ability to decide for themselves. Like any business, the state had no jurisdiction over private school policies and so the commonsense gun measure passed overwhelmingly. The measure also included the ability of private higher education institutions to develop their own firearms policies.[9]
• After the 2015 terrorist attacks against military personnel in Chattanooga, Goins sponsored legislation that would reduce the carry permit age of military personnel in Tennessee to 18 if serving in the Armed Forces. As a result of the attacks, TN National Guard General Hastings began allowing permitted TN National Guard Members to carry a firearm while in uniform.[10] Goins pointed out that 18-21 year olds made up a vast majority of Guard members, they all had some sort of firearms training in Basic Training, and therefore should not be excluded from General Hastings' decree.[11]
• In 2014 Goins introduced a bill which would remove local government abilities to restrict carrying firearms in public parks.[12] The bill failed in its first year, but the effort gained the support of the National Rifle Association and was passed in 2015.[13] Goins was a co-sponsor and helped present the bill during its passage on the house floor. In 2022 Goins was vindicated in his efforts at securing citizens rights to bear arms in public places when the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in the New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen case which affirmed the constitutionally protected right of individuals to keep and bear arms in public places.[14][15]