The Tennessee Senate added its voice to the state House in condemning the United Nations’ ‘Agenda 21’ on Tuesday. The program is an environmental initiative meant to encourage sustainable development. A majority of Tennessee lawmakers now describe it as destructive.
The United Nations Agenda 21 has never been endorsed by the U.S. as a treaty, but it has become a hot button issue among grass roots conservatives who see the United Nations as the first step to so-called one-world government.
Resolution sponsor Mike Bell, a Republican from McMinn County, held up a black loose leaf folder several inches thick.
“There is over 300 pages, like I said, contained in this document. I can best describe this as zoning rules on steroids.”
But Chattanooga Democrat Andy Berke says the resolution implies that simple environmental planning is a conspiracy to remove Americans’ property rights.
“It seems to me that planning and forethought and trying to preserve our Tennessee way of life is exactly what we should be doing.”
Berke pointed to the planning which the city of Chattanooga had to do when it lured the large Volkswagen plant to the region.
The measure has no practical effect – sponsor Mike Bell called it a ‘message’ to Congress.
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