SJR9005 declares the right of the Tennessee General Assembly to nullify federal COVID-19 restrictions that violate the United States Constitution. It also urges the Attorney General and Reporter of the State of Tennessee to take appropriate legal action on behalf of the state’s citizens.
The Senate passed SJR9005 on October 29, 2021, by a vote of 22 to 5. We have assigned pluses to the ayes because whenever the federal government assumes unconstitutional powers, nullification of such acts by the several states is the proper remedy. The American people retain a natural right to nullification, which should be used to restore the powers reserved to the states under the U.S. Constitution. Nullification is protected by the Bill of Rights, especially the 9th and 10th Amendments.