Later this month, commissioners are expected to vote on a measure which would make Cheatham County a Second Amendment Sanctuary County, or a county which prohibits or impedes gun control legislation. The proposal is expected to be up for a full vote on Feb. 24 at the regularly scheduled commission meeting, according to the County Mayor’s office. The proposal passed the Calendar and Rules Committee and was sent to the County Attorney for review.
The local measure came about after a petition was circulated at businesses in Ashland City, Pegram, Kingston Springs, Pleasant View, and other communities by Clate Reed, a local resident. More than 20 other counties in Tennessee have approved similar measures, most recently in Rutherford and Wilson. Maury and Marshall counties will be considering sanctuary bills in the coming weeks.
“It’s a peaceful resolution,” Reed said. “The resolution just basically says we are law-abiding citizens and we’re protecting our right to bear arms.”
A similar piece of legislation is under consideration at the state level. Tennessee House of Representatives Joint Resolution 748 was introduced on Feb. 3. The partisan bill sponsored by several Republican lawmakers reaffirms that the Volunteer State is a “sanctuary for the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms.”
Both the state and county proposals are in response to red flag law measures, most recently approved in Virginia. According to the Virginia state Senate, the plan senators voted in favor of in January would allow police officers and other law enforcement to take guns away from or prevent purchase by people deemed to be a harm to themselves or others. The proposal is expected to be signed by the state’s governor.
Similar measures were filed in late January in the Tennessee state legislature by Rep. Gloria Johnson (D- Knoxville) and Sen. Sara Kyle (D-Memphis) in HB 1873 and SB 1807, respectively.