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Chief Editor's Note:
Tennessee's Second Amendment Sanctuary movement is now in full swing, albeit more slowly than in states facing greater current threats. We'll keep editing this story throughout the days, weeks, and months to come. Please check back again for additional or updated information.
Largely unnoticed by any mainstream media, Tennessee has been passing Second Amendment Sanctuary Counties one by one over the past several months. Upon closer examination, GRW has now identified movements in at least 35 counties.
The movement began in April of this year when Polk County became the first to declare itself a sanctuary for gun rights. Quietly, other county boards in the area took notice and started asking questions. The movement began and ramped up further as the noticed that nearby Kentucky and Virginia had adopted the craze for themselves. Tennessee now has sixteen bonafide Second Amendment Sanctuary counties, with what appears to be many more on the way.
Originally, Tennesseeans faced the threat of Red Flag laws, which should be more than enough to cause any state to start taking drastic measures. As that threat eventually went away, many citizens of The Volunteer State realized that their firearm rights were not as safe as they had thought, and as a result, many new gun rights organizations and groups now exist that previously had not.
Here's the list and what we know so far:
Municipalities That Passed a Second Amendment Sanctuary Resolution:
(green)
- Dyer County - passed ordinance in 2013; Sheriff refuses to violate US & Tennessee Constitutions
- Polk County - passed resolution on 4/18/2019
- Blount County - passed resolution on 5/18/2019
- Monroe County - passed resolution on 5/28/2019
- Loudon County - passed resolution on 6/3/2019
- Roane County - passed resolution on 6/10/2019
- Carter County - passed resolution on 6/17/2019
- Town of Dandridge - passed resolution on 10/8/2019
- Jefferson County - passed resolution on 10/21/2019
- Sevier County - passed resolution on 10/21/2019
- Hamblen County - passed resolution on 11/21/2019
- Sullivan County - passed resolution on 11/21/2019
- Cocke County - passed resolution on 12/16/2019
- Claiborne County - passed resolution on 12/16/2019
- Unicoi County - passed resolution on 12/16/2019
- Johnson County - passed resolution on 12/16/2019
- Grainger County - passed resolution on 12/16/2019
- Fayette County - passed resolution on 1/14/2020; also passed ordinance in 2013
- Meigs County - passed resolution on 1/16/2020
- Lake County - passed resolution on 1/21/2020
- Wayne County - passed resolution on 1/21/2020
- Hawkins County - passed resolution on 1/27/20
- Lewis County - passed resolution 1/27/2020
- Grundy County - passed resolution 1/27/2020
- Wilson County - passed resolution 1/27/2020
Municipalities That Passed A More Generic Second Amendment Resolution:
(light green)
Municipalities That Passed a Second Amendment Resolution Without The Word Sanctuary:
- Greene County - passed resolution on 6/15/2019
- Washington County - passed resolution 1/27/2020
Municipalities That Passed Older Second Amendment Preservation Ordinances:
(light green)
- Madison County - passed ordinance in 2013
Municipalities Having a Hearing or Confirmed To Be Voting Soon:
(yellow)
- City of Dunlap - first meeting was 12/19/2019; vote could be in February
- Obion County - had first meeting; awaiting word on another
- Carroll County - first meeting was 1/18; awaiting word on another
- Montgomery County - First meeting was 1/25; awaiting word on more developments
- Rutherford County - first meeting was 1/27; expected to vote 2/13/2020
- Sequatchie County - first meeting was 1/27; expected to vote sometime in April
- White County - first meeting was on 1/27; expected to vote sometime in February
- Campbell County - special meeting 1/27; awaiting word on outcome
- Morgan County - meeting or voting sometime in February
- Macon County - meeting or voting 2/3/2020
- Humphreys County - meeting or voting on 2/10/2020
- McMinn County - meeting or voting on 2/17/2020
- Jackson County - meeting or voting on 2/24/2020
- Knox County - meeting or voting on 3/3/2020
- Coffee County - meeting or voting on 3/10/2020
Other Counties Or Cities That Have Efforts To Get A Hearing Or Vote Soon:
(orange)
- Anderson County
- Bedford County
- Benton County
- Bradley County
- Cannon County
- Chester County
- Cumberland County
- Davidson County
- Decatur County
- Franklin County
- Gibson County
- Grundy County
- Hamilton County
- Hardeman County
- Hardin County
- Haywood County
- Henderson County
- Henry County
- Hickman County
- Houston County
- Humphreys County
- Lewis County
- Lincoln County
- Lauderdale County
- Madison County
- Marshall County
- Maury County
- McNairy County
- Moore County
- Montgomery County
- Perry County
- Putnam County
- Rhea County
- Robertson County
- Scott County (Dec 13th post at link)
- Shelby County
- Smith County
- Stewart County
- Sumner County (rally scheduled on 2/8)
- Tipton County
- Town of Hartsville
- Trousdale County
- Union County (Nov 22 post at link)
- Warren County
- Weakley County
Special thanks to Tennessee patriots Kimberly Clemens and Heather Baker for their hard work in acquiring some of this information; also, thanks again to longtime GRW contributor Jeff Wittenborn for his help.
