The attention on proposed
SB1958 / HB1971 by Senator John Stevens and Representative Andrew Farmer has now gone national!
If you are not aware, these two Republican legislators and several more have proposed a change in Tennessee law that is not merely a procedural refinement. It is, to the contrary, an effort that is far more evil. It is an attempt to ban Tennesseans from access to the courts if they seek to facially challenge the constitutionality of a state statute or to seek a pre-enforcement challenge. Essentially, these and other legislators apparently believe that whatever they want to do as legislators is beyond your right to question it and it should be beyond the constitutional authority of the judiciary to review it to determine if the legislature violated it constitutional limits.
Today, Washington Gun Law commentator William Kirk did a
YouTube video blasting the proposed Tennessee law - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAwyQvnWfdk
In addition, the Tennessean
reports that several national groups including Institute for the Koch brothers, Institute for Justice, Goldwater Institute and Pacific Legal Foundation are opposing the proposed legislation and that they have written to Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti asking him to back off his efforts (he apparently is the one that really wants this law).
It is likely that many other local and national organizations will likewise align against this effort by Tennessee Republicans to knowingly and intentionally deny citizens and Tennessee's courts the constitutional right and authority to evaluate whether the Legislature has abused its limited authority under the constitution to adopt any laws that it may want.
This is a rapidly developing situation where Republican Tennessee Legislators have been exposed trying to protect power that the citizens simply did not extend to the Legislature through the constitutional grant of authority. Certainly, that is a hard pill to swallow for those Legislators, those unrestrained by constitutional boundaries, who operate under the delusion that they can do whatever they want regardless of the constitution (which has obviously been the case when it comes to the Second Amendment).
It is important for you to be aware of these issues and the shenanigans that some Republican legislators are trying to accomplish. Stand firm on your rights and be prepared to confront them with a "No, not now, not ever!"
