Government is constitutionally limited to prevent the infringement of individual rights by the government itself. The protection of individual rights is the only proper purpose of government. Individuals are in control over their own lives and no one should be forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others. As long as they are not forcibly interfering with the rights of others, Tennesseans should be free to pursue their own dreams in their own ways, without interference from government.
The Constitution limits the power of the federal government by specifically enumerating its powers. It also protects the rights of Tennessee as a state. It is up to the States to decide what actions by the federal government are constitutional. Allowing the federal government to make that determination is allowing the fox to guard the hen house. In order to protect our rights as a State, we need to assert them by refusing to implement all unconstitutional federal mandates.
The United States and Tennessee Constitutions protect the right of the citizens to keep and bear arms. As State Representative, I will oppose any action by the State restricting the ownership, manufacture, or transfer or sale of firearms or ammunition.
Property owners have the full right to control, use, dispose of, or in any manner enjoy, their property without interference, unless the exercise of their control infringes upon the valid rights of others. I am opposed to all government interference with private property, such as confiscation and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation. After the Supreme Court decision in 2005 where the Court held that the economic benefit a community might receive from private development qualified as "public use" under the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment, I sponsored a resolution approved by the Wilson County Commission which prohibits the enactment of eminent domain for private use in Wilson County. As State Representative, I will support a similar ban on the state level.
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