MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Several local and state lawmakers filed suit Friday against Gov. Bill Lee and the state attorney general, challenging the deployment of Tennessee National Guard troops in Memphis.
The lawsuit, filed in Davidson County Chancery Court, seeks a temporary restraining order and injunction that would immediately halt further National Guard activity in Memphis, arguing that the deployment “usurps the authority of elected officials, endangers civilian safety, and sets a dangerous precedent for military intrusion into local communities.”
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The suit was filed by Shelby County Mayor Lee Harris, Memphis City Councilman J.B. Smiley, County Commissioners Erika Sugarmon and Henri Brooks, State Representatives G.A. Hardaway and Gabby Salinas and State Senator Jeff Yarbro.
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“For me, it’s about protecting the dignity of everybody that calls Memphis and Tennessee their home,” said state Rep. Gabby Salinas (D-Memphis).
They argue that Lee’s deployment violates the Tennessee Constitution and state law, citing the state Constitution, which states “the Militia shall not be called into service except in case of rebellion or invasion, and then only when the General Assembly shall declare, by law, that the public safety requires it.”…