Tennessee House To Congress: “Don’t tread on me.“
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Tennessee House To Congress:
Tennessee is one of several states with a sovereignty bill on the legislative floor. The point -- to remind Washington that, under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, their authority stops...
Contributed: AP Images
Published: May 30, 2009
Updated: June 2, 2009
As the federal government bails out banks, reorganizes auto manufacturers, and considers sweeping health care reforms, some Tennesseans think, “Enough is enough.“ More than a handful of state lawmakers want that sentiment in writing.
Tennessee is one of several states with a sovereignty bill on the legislative floor. The point—to remind Washington that, under the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, their authority stops at the state line.
House Joint Resolution 108 might be a little watered down,* but it joined the tidal wave of support for state sovereignty around the country.
(*The amended version removed the following statements from the preamble:
1 - “Many powers assumed by the federal government and federal mandates are directly in violation of the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.“
2 - “A number of proposals from previous administrations and some now pending from the present administration and from Congress may further violate the Constitution of the United States.“
It also removed a clause demanding the federal government halt and reverse 10th Amendment violations.
To view the amended bill, click the first link at left.)
Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey said that support has been building. “I think people have finally gotten to the point, especially under the current administration to be honest, that we see states’ rights stripped away and stripped away,“ Ramsey said.
U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp (one of Ramsey’s opponents in Tennessee’s Republican gubernatorial primary) said it would behoove Tennessee to control it’s own revenue.
“There’s a trend in this county of too much federal government and we need to push them back,“ Wamp said. “I don’t want to be treated like New Jersey or California. They have their own rules.“
According to the website TenthAmendmentCenter.com, 36 states have a similar bill at some state of the legislative process (to view their interactive map, click the second link at left).
Web site founder Michael Boldin said the state sovereignty movement is a bi-partisan issue.
“There’s just a total trashing {of the 10th Amendment} no matter who’s in power,“ Boldin said. “I think this is something that’s been going on for a long time, and as we see the economy start to effect the average {person}, more and more people are saying, ‘Where is this coming from?‘“
Boldin said marriage amendments, federal drug wars, and some aspects of foreign policy championed by Republican administrations also violate the 10th amendment.
“I actually started {the website} in 2007 when Bush was in power because I felt there was very little they were doing that was in line with the constitution,“ Boldin said.
HJR 108 was sponsored by Rep. Susan Lynn (R-Mt. Juliet). It has 41 co-sponsors. The Tennessee House overwhelmingly approved the bill 85-2. On Thursday, it was passed on to the Senate Ways and Mean Committee.
All nine legislators in our Northeast Tennessee viewing area voted for HJR 108, including co-sponsor Jason Mumpower.
“We want to say to Washington again: ‘Remember, the government that governs best is the one that’s most in touch with the people—closest to home—and in this case that’s the Tennessee Legislature.“
In other words, “Don’t tread on me.“
For a video version of this report, click the play icon above.
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Reader Reactions
You are correct, Ben. However the push for Tenth Amendment Sovereignty has been from a swell of grassroots support from citizens of the States in response to Federal usurpation of the Tenth Amendment, and not so much as originating in the individual State legislatures. It started before the Obama Administration but many of the Bills introduced in this session of Congress; banking bailout, gun control, civilian police force, posse comitatus, etc. And now a new Supreme Court Justice nominee who is on record as being a disrespecter of the Constitution, despite Obama’s TV ads to the contrary. The State Legislatures are the last plea of the sovereign, the last hope of keeping the Federal leviathan at bay!
Unfortunately the 10th amendment has very little to do with it. It’s the money. If the legislature wants to eliminate Federal influence, all they need to do up the state taxes and refuse all federal money. Of Course then local gov. would need to up their taxes so they to could refuse federal and state money.
If you accept their money, you have to play by their rules. It’s not the 10th amendment. It is the federal governments ability to prey on the state and local gov. officials lack of a backbone to raise the necessary taxes to support state and local projects.
Tenth Amendment Sovereignty is not a declaration of secession. It is an affirmation of it’s (Tennessee’s) powers under the Constitution. The States, recognizing the usurpation of powers not granted to the Federal Government under the Constitution, have reminded the central government that their extent of jurisdiction lies only to those things enumerated by the Constitution. Failure to recognize such rights did lead to secession; an historical fact. No one wants this again, so it would be wise to remind all that abrogation of the Constitution is unwise and will not be tolerated by the States (The People). As the Scriptures say: Let all things be done in an orderly manner.
One familiar distant scenerio of states sovereignty issues resulted in several state secessions, a civil war that lasted four years and 600 thousand deaths. I doubt our legislation has this extreme in mind.
This is an affirmation of federalism—a separation of powers. The South fought for state sovereignty in the War for Southern Independence. Lincoln and his babes in blue were on the wrong side of things. Now we’ll have to do it all over, state-by-state!
Praise God! Please do the job you were elected to do, legislators, and represent us, the people of the state of Tennessee. Please take a stand, and unite as neither democrats or republicans, but as our representatives for the people who elected you! Stand up to the violations of our Constitutional rights that are being mandated from the White House and the Federal Government. Please stop this infringement at the STATE LINE!! Stand firm and true for the people of this state in our rights. We will be right behind you. Maybe there are some who are awakening to what is coming down the pike for this Nation if someone does not stand up to this infringement now!!! I only hope that other legislators, from other states, wake up as well and work together to battle for our freedoms. And it will be a battle!
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