CLARKSVILLE, Tenn (CLARKSVILLENOW) – At their March 2020 Formal Meeting, The Montgomery County Commission will vote on a resolution naming Montgomery County a “Second Amendment Sanctuary County.”
Resolution 20-3-5, while symbolic in nature, would send a message to the State Legislature voicing Montgomery County’s opposition to laws limiting Tennesseans’ ability to purchase and carry firearms. Should the resolution pass, Montgomery County will join 34 other counties with similar resolutions.
Access to firearms has been a contentious topic in the Tennessee State Legislature as of late, with bills introduced both limiting and extending Tennesseans’ ability to purchase and carry guns.
Governor Bill Lee announced on February 27, a new bill that, if passed, will allow constitutional carry in Tennessee, giving residents the right to carry without a permit while also imposing more serious penalties for theft of a firearm or crimes involving the use of one.
Senate Bill 1807, The ‘Red Flag Law’ which originally prompted Montgomery County’s Resolution 20-3-5, would allow a state resident to petition the courts to confiscate firearms belonging to relatives that might pose a threat to themselves or others. The person in question would be barred from purchasing or possessing a firearm so long as the order remains in effect. Such a petitioner would be required to sign a sworn affidavit.
The resolution submitted by County Commissioner Tangi Smith of District 8 condemns Senate Bill 1807 as a violation of the Second and 14th Amendments of the United States Constitution, as well as Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution.
Smith began drafting the resolution after attending a Tennessee County Services Association conference in Knoxville, submitting it in January of this year. A survivor of assault herself, Smith expressed her belief that Red Flag Laws are vulnerable to exploitation by abusers.
“Me being a victim, or a survivor, [this issue is] near to me,” said Smith. “At the time, I did not have a weapon, and I feel like if I had had one, things would have been different.
She also shared her concern that Senate Bill 1807 could disproportionately effect veterans in Tennessee.
“What I don’t want is for veterans to be penalized because they have been diagnosed with a mental issue or PTSD or something like, and their weapons are taken away and they’re perfectly fine,” said Smith, “There are some people that don’t need a firearm. We know that, I’m not negating that, but some people are being diagnosed but they know how to work around that issue, and I don’t want them to be penalized.”
At a recent informal Commission Meeting, Jessica Phillips-Breznican, a member of Women for Second Amendment Rights, leader of Clarksville-Montgomery County Stands United, a veteran and retired reserve police officer, presented the Commission with a petition in support of the Resolution. The group collected 1318 signatures over a 3-week period.
“The majority of [veterans] have some form of depression, anxiety or PTSD. That doesn’t mean that they are a danger to society,” said Phillips-Breznican. “Based on that alone, some of these laws can strip a veteran of their right to own a firearm when they’re the ones that put their lives on the line to ensure that our Constitution is defended and that our ideals are upheld in America.”
Commissioner Smith credits the group, as well as her constituents, with her bringing the resolution forward.
“At the end of the day, they have over 1000 signatures. I don’t even know the last time that a thousand people in my district had voted. This is what they want and it’s my job to represent them regardless. And that transcends party lines,” said Smith.
The County Commission will meet for their formal meeting 6 p.m. The full agenda for tonight’s meeting can be found here.
The County Commission livestreams all meetings, formal and informal, via Youtube. Tune it at 6 p.m. to watch the proceedings at Clarksville Now.