Tennessee Senate Panel Delays Gun Enforcement Ban Vote

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Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee has narrowly decided to delay voting on a bill seeking to ban the federal enforcement of state firearms laws in order to ask for an opinion from the state's attorney general about whether it would be constitutional.

Republican Sen. Mae Beavers of Mt. Juliet told the committee on Tuesday her bill would make it a felony for federal agents to enforce gun laws she considers unconstitutional.  Fellow Republican Judiciary Chairman Brian Kelsey of Germantown asked for the delay to determine whether the state has the power to nullify federal laws.

The vote was 5 - 4 to await the opinion from Attorney General Bob Cooper by next week. A similar measure sponsored by Rep. Joe Carr of Murfreesboro has yet to be scheduled for a House hearing.