Pending Knife Laws Need Your Help

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Pending Knife Laws Need Your Help
Tennessee's proposed law would legalize automatics such as the Spyderco Embassy for law-abiding citizens.
Automatics such as the Spyderco Embassy would be legal among law-abiders if a proposed Tennessee bill is passed. (Spyderco photo)
Tennessee’s proposed law would legalize automatics such as the Spyderco Embassy for law-abiding citizens.

State knife laws designed to protect your rights are pending in Florida and Tennessee, according to a Knife Rights news release.

In Florida, SB458 is a knife law preemption act. Knife law preemption prevents local governments from passing knife ordinances more restrictive than the state’s current laws.

If passed, it would make Florida the eighth state to implement knife law preemption. Florida State Senator Thad Altman reintroduced the bill for the state’s upcoming 2014 legislative session.

In Tennessee, state senator Mike Bell has introduced SB1438, which would complete the job of updating the state’s knife laws. Along with Knife Rights, Bell helped pass knife law preemption in Tennessee last year. However, the Tennessee Sheriff’s Association (TSA) assisted in defeating an attempt to overturn the state’s outdated ban on automatics and knives with blades over 4 inches long.

Meanwhile, according to the release, Knife Rights has worked closely with TSA Executive Director Terry Ashe to address TSA’s concerns over the removal of the ban while at the same time eliminating its oppressive effect on the state’s law-abiding citizens. SB1438 is the result of those negotiations.

INSIDE SB458

As for Florida’s SB458, it contains a number of stipulations that should appeal to anyone in favor of controlling oppressive governance, including the provision that certain elected or appointed officials are liable for damages and attorney fees as the result of violations of the act. It would also mandate the termination of employment or removal from office of an official in violation of the act.

SB458 would also impose penalties for enacting or failing to repeal rules or ordinances that conflict with the act, and also prohibit the future enactment of rules and ordinances relating to knives, common pocketknives and weapons by any entity other than the legislature. It would also prevent a state agency or political subdivision from enacting a rule, ordinance or tax relating to knives, knifemaking components, common pocketknives or weapons, including but not limited to the use, transportation, possession, carry, sale, transfer, purchase, gift, licensing or registration of such knives or weapons.


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