Election officials in Memphis decided Tuesday to leave three gun control questions off the November ballot. On Monday, Tennessee’s election coordinator, Mark Goins, wrote to the Shelby County Election Commission warning that the gun control measures violated several of Tennessee’s laws, making them ineligible to be placed on the ballot. The letter was sent hours after House Speaker Cameron Sexton and Senate Speaker Randy McNally threatened to withhold tens of millions of dollars in state funding, the Associated Press reports. Goins added that “unequivocable declarations by the General Assembly” left “no authority” for Memphis officials to propose such amendments to the city’s charter. Goins also raised concerns that the city had not followed the public notice procedures required to put a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot.
The Memphis City Council had approved a proposal to ask voters if they wanted to tweak the city charter to require permits to carry a handgun, ban the possession of AR-15 style rifles and implement a red flag ordinance, which allows law enforcement officials to remove firearms from those found to be an imminent danger to themselves or others. The council had acknowledged that it was risking the ire of the Republican-dominant Legislature because the measures likely conflict with Tennessee’s lax gun laws. Council members representing the large Black-majority, left-leaning city said they were willing to take the risk. Secretary of State Tre Hargett warned that his office would not approve Memphis’ ballot if it included the gun initiatives.
Last year, Memphis received nearly $78 million from the state’s sales tax revenue. The rate of reported crime in Memphis for the first half of 2024 remained below the first half of 2023 in almost all major categories. Republican lawmakers and the governor signed off on legislation designed to undo police traffic stop reforms set in place after officers fatally beat Tyre Nichols last year.
Comments