MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Another showdown over gun control started this week between the State of Tennessee and the City of Memphis.
On Monday, GOP leaders announced the city could lose tens of millions of dollars in critical state funding if three gun control measures appear on the November ballot as approved earlier this year by the Memphis City Council.
The Tennessee lieutenant governor, house speaker and secretary of state all told Bluff City leaders on Monday, August 26, that state law overrides all three proposals.
Memphis City Councilman Jeff Warren sponsored the referendum, which calls for:
- Reinstating handgun permits and requiring safe storage
- Banning future sales of assault rifles
- Creating a “red flag” law, which allows seizing guns through extreme risk protection orders
“I think they thought we were going to institute this,” said Councilman Warren, “I think they thought somehow we were directly attacking the state GOP when what we are doing is asking for help with our crime problem.”
Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton said the state could deny Memphis as much as $78 million in sales tax revenue if it proceeds with the referendum.
“With the recent actions of the progressive, soft-on-crime DA in Shelby County,” said Sexton, “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. We hope they will change course immediately.”
Lt. Governor Randy McNally added, “The Tennessee Constitution clearly outlines the roles and responsibilities of the state and local governments. Shelby County needs to understand that despite their hopes and wishes to the contrary, they are constrained by these explicit constitutional guardrails.”
Democratic House Minority Speaker Karen Camper of Memphis fired off in a letter to the lt. governor and speaker:
“Threatening to punish an entire county for exercising its democratic right is not only unprecedented,” she said, “but sets a dangerous precedent. To suggest that these vital funds could be withheld over a local decision aimed at ensuring public safety is shortsighted and counterproductive.”
State Rep. Justin Pearson called the GOP’s actions “reckless” and “anti-constitutional.”
“Our city and county deserve a say in how we are governed,” he said in a statement. “Our people deserve a say. Contrary to the authoritarian actions that have gone on for far too long in our statehouse… our city, our county, and our state are governed by The People. This is a constitutional democratic republic – not a dictatorship or oligarchy.”
Councilman Warren’s hope is that if Memphis voters show GOP leaders how they feel about gun control, state lawmakers will carve out exceptions to permitless carry for a city crippled by crime.
“If they don’t do what the NRA wants, they can easily be taken out,” said Warren. “So unless we can give them cover with how we vote here as citizens, there’s no way they’ll ever really be able to change that.”
In an email to the Shelby County Election Commission on Monday, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett said, “Any proposed referendum is facially void and cannot be placed on the ballot.”
Memphis Mayor Paul Young called for diplomacy between local and state leaders.
“We understand that the referendum conflicts with state law,” Mayor Young told Action News 5. “And so, we’re going to continue to have the necessary conversations, work with our city council, work with our state legislature and work to get to a place where we can all be agreeable.”
Action News 5 reached out to Shelby County Elections Coordinator Linda Phillips to find out how this will impact the ballot and election preparations.
“We acknowledge the concerns that have been raised by various stakeholders,” said Phillips. “Our role as an Election Commission is to remain neutral and to ensure that any referendum or election process is conducted fairly, transparently, and in strict compliance with the law.”
The election commission meets at 11 a.m. Tuesday, August 27, to discuss the situation further.
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