Gov. Lee speaks on Memphis’ gun control referendum after county commission sides with city over election cut
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MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – On Monday, Shelby County leaders officially sided with the Memphis City Council’s litigation over the election commission’s choice to omit a gun control referendum that was approved in July.
Shelby County commissioners voted 8-3-1 in support of the Memphis City Council’s lawsuit filed against the Shelby County Election Commission. The suit claims that the city has the right to call for a referendum election.
A back-and-forth on gun laws in Memphis seemingly ended after the election commission declared that it would not allow the referendum’s three gun control measures to appear on the November ballot.
The election commission said it was following the direction of the state election coordinator.
State GOP leaders also threatened to withhold $78 million in sales tax revenue from the City of Memphis.
During a visit to the Bluff City on Monday, Tennessee Governor Bill Lee declined to say whether he would sign any type of bill that would strip the money from Memphis.
The two-term governor did say he believes gun laws need to be consistent in every city and town across the state.
“The last thing we need is for the city to take on the rest of the state… to take on a fight with state government or with the laws that are consistent across the state,” said Lee. “We’re making way too much progress, and we need to keep moving.”
The city wants to be carved out of the state’s open-carry laws, citing concerns over gun violence.
A bill sponsored by State Senator London Lamar last session sought to carve out Shelby County, and it failed.
Governor Lee visited Memphis to celebrate Tennessee’s Youth Employment Program, which provides paying jobs to young people ages 14 to 24.
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