Tennessee speed guns
By LAURA ITALIANO
NYPost.comGun nuts in the Tennessee state legislature have declared civil war on New Yorkers — saying they will retaliate for the prosecution of a woman who was carrying an illegal pistol at the 9/11 Memorial.
A resolution winding its way through the Tennessee legislature warns New Yorkers not to drive through their state — because the Highway Patrol is “gunning” for us.
A Knoxville-based legislator, who moonlights as a farmer, is so angry over the Tennessee tourist’s gun arrest last month that his resolution condemns it as a “grave miscarriage of justice” — and reminds New Yorkers to “drive carefully” if we come visit.
“We remind the citizens of New York, especially those residing in New York City, to drive carefully through the great state of Tennessee, paying extra attention to our speed limits,” reads House Resolution 585, which urges charges be dropped against Meredith Graves.
A registered nurse and fourth-year medical student, Graves was arrested when she tried to check her Tennessee-registered weapon at the 9/11 Memorial in December. It’s illegal to carry the weapon in this state. Graves faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 3 1/2 years if convicted of felony weapons possession; prosecutors have not said if they will seek an indictment on that or on a lesser charge. The resolution also “urges” New York officials “to use common sense and sound judgment in the disposition of the case against Meredith Graves.”
Tennessee Rep. Threatens NYC Drivers After 9/11 Memorial Gun Arrest
By Garth Johnston
Gothamist.comA Tennessee state representative with the friendly name Frank Niceley is upset that New York City takes its gun laws seriously. He’s so upset, he’s writing resolutions about it! In the wake of the incident involving a woman who brought her loaded gun to the 9/11 Memorial, Niceley has gone and introduced a resolution in his state that gently threatens New Yorkers driving there. But only gently!
In the resolution, which Niceley admits was kind of tongue-in-cheek (“You’ve got to inject a little humor to get attention,” the Republican told the News), the representative writes, “Be it further resolved that we remind the citizens of New York, especially those residing in New York City, to drive carefully through the great State of Tennessee, paying extra attention to our speed limits.”
The resolution would have no legal weight and is more meant to get the attention of lawmakers here. Niceley—like many, many others—is arguing that the city should go easy on the 9/11 memorial gun-toting Tennessean Meredith Graves, who has a permit to carry a gun in her home state but not in New York City. Niceley specifically asks for common sense here…something the Bloomberg administration did not take kindly to.
“We agree, everyone should use common sense—which is what prosecutors in New York do,” Bloomberg spokesman Marc LaVorgna responded. “Common sense also includes checking gun laws before traveling—something even the NRA tells people to do.” If convicted of second-degree weapons possession Graves, 39, could face up to three years in prison.