Shots at Feds Dropping Like Flies

President Obama has asked Congress to ban high capacity magazines like these. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

State lawmakers are having next-to-no luck with even symbolic proposals meant to show disdain with potential gun restrictions coming out of Washington D.C.

Several bills are almost identical and – one way or another – aim to stop the enforcement in Tennessee of federal firearms regulations, such as limits on high capacity magazines.

One comes from Rep. Micah Van Huss (R-Jonesborough), who wants to prevent public officials or firearms dealers from complying with either a ban on semi-automatic weapons or registration requirements.

After the state’s Attorney General opined that such firearms bills were unconstitutional, Van Huss watered down his to the point of having no practical effect. Still, the bill failed in the House Local Government Subcommittee Tuesday.

“I don’t know why we’d put this into the code if it doesn’t do anything,” said Vance Dennis (R-Savannah), a member of the panel.

Another proposal from Rep. Jeremy Faison (R-Cosby) lacked the support to be discussed. Others were pulled by their sponsors.

While the General Assembly as a whole is showing little interest in passing laws that run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, there are some GOP lawmakers who say it’s worth trying to make a point.

“I think this is a great mechanism to shut the President of the United States off,” Rep. Rick Womick (R-Rockvale) said. “Let him know that we’re not going to tolerate executive orders as he declares them as edicts upon the people and violate our rights in the Second Amendment.”