A bill designed to give heterosexual couples a unique common law marriage license in Tennessee faced criticism for failing to include age restrictions. While Arlington Republican Tom Leatherwood said he never intended the bill to open the door for adults to marry children, political analyst Otis Sanford says its other intent is clear: to create a separate-but-equal style of government arrangement for people with religious objections to gay marriage, which is currently protected by a Supreme Court ruling.
And in recent years, Tennessee Republicans have charted a course to normalize guns as commonplace accessories in cities and towns. Many Second Amendment Republicans believe that gun owners should have the same rights as law enforcement to carry weaponry even into private businesses that would ban them, such as bars.
But in an unusual step, Senate Leader Randy McNally put a temporary halt to giving 18-year-olds the right to carry weapons without permits. In addition, a bill that would have allowed parents to bring their hunting rifles to playgrounds and to community centers also stalled.
