Tennessee Governor Bill Lee's decision to deploy the national guard in Memphis without the approval of local lawmakers has been challenged by a group of Democratic elected officials. The city council itself declined to join the lawsuit, with some members citing concerns over the impact on municipal autonomy and funding.
According to the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, the city attorneys evaluated the situation and concluded that there was little chance of overcoming the legal authority for the deployment. Instead, they sought a more nuanced approach, focusing on how the national guard would be deployed in their community without infringing on local sovereignty.
Critics argue that the deployment is unconstitutional, citing state statute as limiting the governor's ability to use the state militia. However, Governor Lee claims that the national guard is not subject to these restrictions, describing it as "the army of Tennessee." This semantic distinction has been rejected by prior courts and commentators.
The decision to deploy troops was also justified on a practical level, with federal funds covering the costs. However, Democrats argue that this ignores the underlying issue: crime in Memphis. The city's murder rate is eight times the national average, and some residents have expressed frustration over the lack of solutions from local leaders.
As the case unfolds in court, Judge Patricia Head Moskal has expressed skepticism about Governor Lee's argument, suggesting that the deployment is not a purely political decision but an operational one aimed at addressing crime in Memphis. The outcome remains uncertain, with written briefs pending.
According to the mayor of Memphis, Paul Young, the city attorneys evaluated the situation and concluded that there was little chance of overcoming the legal authority for the deployment. Instead, they sought a more nuanced approach, focusing on how the national guard would be deployed in their community without infringing on local sovereignty.
Critics argue that the deployment is unconstitutional, citing state statute as limiting the governor's ability to use the state militia. However, Governor Lee claims that the national guard is not subject to these restrictions, describing it as "the army of Tennessee." This semantic distinction has been rejected by prior courts and commentators.
The decision to deploy troops was also justified on a practical level, with federal funds covering the costs. However, Democrats argue that this ignores the underlying issue: crime in Memphis. The city's murder rate is eight times the national average, and some residents have expressed frustration over the lack of solutions from local leaders.
As the case unfolds in court, Judge Patricia Head Moskal has expressed skepticism about Governor Lee's argument, suggesting that the deployment is not a purely political decision but an operational one aimed at addressing crime in Memphis. The outcome remains uncertain, with written briefs pending.
, like, who wants to risk taking away from the city's autonomy? 
I get that they wanna address the murder rate and all, but can't they work together with local lawmakers first? 
It feels like there's this huge disconnect between what the governor is saying and what's really going on. And Judge Moskal seems super wise to be calling it out too 
. Fingers crossed that justice gets served soon 
This whole situation is so weird, right? I mean, Governor Lee thinks he can just deploy the national guard without checking with local lawmakers? That's like me showing up to a dinner party and being all "hey, I brought the food" without asking if anyone actually invited me 
. But seriously, it's concerning that some people don't understand how their state government works.
That sounds like something out of a movie or a bad joke. Prior courts have already shut down that argument, so I'm not sure why Governor Lee is still pushing it. It's just another example of how some politicians don't listen to advice from experts.
And it's frustrating for residents who are fed up with no solutions coming from local leaders. I hope Judge Moskal can get to the bottom of this and figure out what's really going on.
. Memphis is like 8x the murder rate of anywhere else... you can't just sit back and do nothing, especially when u got billions in federal cash to throw at it 
. Lee's right that the national guard ain't bound by those state statutes 
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. And let's see how this all plays out in court - will they be able to figure out a way for the national guard to help Memphis without infringing on local rights? 
...anyway, its probly gonna be a while before we know whos right
that's not how it works. prior courts have already told him no on this one. but i guess when you're in a tight spot, you gotta make some tough calls - even if they don't always sit well with people like me who value the separation of powers.
And then he's all "oh, the national guard isn't subject to state statute" and that's just not true. It seems like a pretty slippery slope if we let governors make decisions without consulting local officials. 
Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on this one, hope Judge Moskal does some digging and gets to the bottom of it! 
. And now these Democratic officials are all like "wait a minute, that's not how it works" 
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. And yeah, it's nice that federal funds are covering the costs, but who cares about that when people's lives are on the line? 
I'm just curious to see how this all plays out in court, though - if Judge Moskal is saying it's not a pure political move, maybe there's some truth to that... 
i mean yeah crime is a big deal but dont deploy the national guard without even trying to work with ppl 
. Like, what if the governor decides to deploy them somewhere else? Doesn't that kind of undermine local control? I'm not saying we should just sit back and do nothing, but can't they find a way to work with the city council on this? It's like, have you seen those crime stats? That's a real issue 
. And yeah, using federal funds to cover costs is smart business move 
, but let's not forget that it's still the governor trying to assert his authority here 