TN House Representative Faison on Property Rights, Gun Rights & Small Business
Tennessee House Representative Jeremy Faison, 11th District – Staff Photo by Jeff Depew
Tennessee House Representative Jeremy Faison of District 11, which includes a portion of Jefferson County, has spent a considerable amount of time in Nashville recently as the 108th Tennessee General Assembly is currently in session. Though this is Faison’s sophomore year as a Representative, due to redistricting, it is his first term as a Representative for Jefferson County. He has introduced 14 Bills and Co Sponsored 18 Bills during this legislative session and many of them could have direct impact in Jefferson County.
Representative Faison is an active outdoor sportsman and has been consistent in his support of the right of citizens to lawfully possess and carry firearms in Tennessee. He has sponsored two Bills that have direct impact on Tennessee citizen’s gun rights-one denies State funds or the use of personnel for implementing any federal law or executive order that would adversely affect a United State’s citizens ability to lawfully possess or carry a fire arm in Tennessee and another that allows permitted gun owners to leave their guns in their privately owned cars or in parking lots under certain conditions. Faison said that gun control is a State’s Rights issue rather than a federal issue and he expects that the gun storage in vehicles bill, which has already passed the Senate, will pass in the House next week. He stated that there are several Bills introduced from various legislators that deal with the State’s Rights in gun control and he expects that several will be married together and one will pass. The Representative said that, in his opinion, there are two significant differences in the United States and other countries-the right to bear arms and property owner rights.
Faison, who has stated that he rarely supports eminent domain, has introduced a Bill that would allow a property owner maximum money for his property if eminent domain is invoked. The Bill would give the owner the highest use value, regardless of zoning, with the intent of making a level playing field for property owners when dealing with government. Representative Faison has been outspoken in his position that government should intervene sparingly in regard to citizens and business owners. He is concerned with the thrust in recent years to promote large industry while offering little assistance to small business owners, who he considers the backbone of the community and economy. Representative Faison considers a recently introduced Bill that would prevent divisions of the government from inflicting penalties on business owners for not meeting the guidelines of new rules as one of his more important Bills. He said that, for small business owners, the guidelines for conducting business are constantly changing and often the small business owner is not even aware of the changes but they are encumbered with penalties. Faison would like to see incentives being spread to the small business owner who is cemented in his community, rather than just large industry that often moves on after the incentives expire. Faison is also sponsoring a Bill that will prevent employees of the Tennessee Housing Development Agency from benefiting financially, through interaction with developers, from their association with THDA during, and for a period of time after, their employment.
Republicans are well situated in the State House and Senate and Representative Faison expects that the legislators will take another swipe at the State Income Tax this session. He stated that he has hopes that State Income Tax in Tennessee will be totally eradicated in the next few years. Representative Faison said that he has been privileged to meet many of the people in Jefferson County and that the local residents are good people that have made the redistricting process easy for him. He has an open door policy and is committed to his District and the community as a whole. Representative Faison can be contacted in Nashville @ 615-741-6871
