A planned ballot referendum by Memphis, Tennessee, city officials to restore handgun carry permits and enact a municipal red-flag law is drawing swift retribution from some state leaders.
Specifically, the referendums would ask voters if they want to amend the city charter to restore handgun carry permit requirements, ban so-called “assault rifles” and impose “red-flag” rules to allow authorities to remove firearms from citizens if accused of being a threat to others.
However, Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton is threatening city leaders with financial repercussions if they go forward with the ballot initiative.
“The Legislature will not tolerate any attempts to go rogue and perform political sideshows,” Rep. Sexton said in a statement.
Both Sexton and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, argue, and rightfully so, that the ballot initiative violates the state’s firearm preemption law, which bars municipalities from passing more restrictive gun laws than state law. Tennessee does not require handgun carry permits for lawful residents, has no red-flag law and no “assault weapon” ban.
“With the recent actions of the progressive, soft-on-crime DA in Shelby County and the Memphis City Council’s continued efforts to override state law with local measures, we feel it has become necessary to take action and protect all Tennesseans’ rights and liberties,” Sexton said. “We hope they will change course immediately.”
For his part, Lt. Gov. McNally said Memphis leaders’ attempt to circumvent the state preemption law will not be tolerated.
“The Tennessee Constitution clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of the state and local governments,” McNally said. “Shelby County needs to understand that despite their hopes and wishes to the contrary, they are constrained by these explicit constitutional guardrails.”
Top Republican lawmakers intend to withhold funding from Memphis if leaders decide to continue with the ballot initiative effort. The city received $78 million from that source in the most recent budget year.
Anti-gun Democrat lawmakers, like Senate Democrat leader Raumesh Akbari, however, aren’t fond of the proposal to withhold funding for the city because of the gun-ban initiatives.
“The people of Memphis, like those in other large cities across Tennessee, are desperate for solutions to reduce gun violence,” Akbari told the Tennessee Journal. “What we need now is a good faith partnership with the state, not threats that jeopardize our already scant funding resources.”
Along with the threatened withholding of funds, Secretary of State Tre Hargett has announced that his office would not approve the ballot unless the questions are removed, according to the Journal.
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