In a brazen act of treachery during the 114th General Assembly (2025-2026), Establishment Trans-publicans in the Tennessee House of Representatives have introduced and are aggressively pushing House Bill 1971 – a direct attack on the fundamental rights of every Tennessean to hold their government accountable.
Sponsored by Andrew Farmer and carrying co-prime sponsors Sexton, Lamberth, Faison, Atchley, Cochran, Capley, Hicks G, Garrett, Crawford, and Travis, this bill is no accident. It is calculated legislation designed to strip citizens of their ability to challenge unconstitutional state actions in court.
Here’s the breakdown of how HB 1971 represents a direct assault on our rights:
- It removes the existing cause of action that allows any affected Tennessean to seek declaratory or injunctive relief against the legality or constitutionality of state governmental actions.
- It shields the state itself from lawsuits questioning unconstitutional laws, while only permitting such challenges against local political subdivisions.
- In plain English: Establishment Trans-publicans are trying to build a fortress around state government so citizens can no longer drag unconstitutional overreach into court and stop it.
Andrew Farmer and Fred Atchley deserve special condemnation as leaders of this assault. Farmer, as the prime sponsor, is driving the bill forward. Atchley, proudly listed among the co-prime sponsors, is standing shoulder-to-shoulder with him in this effort to disarm Tennesseans of one of our most powerful tools for defending liberty – the courthouse door.
This isn’t “governing.” This is Establishment Trans-publicans actively working to limit the rights of the very citizens they swore an oath to serve and protect.
We have dodged a bullet – for now. The companion bill in the Senate, SB 1958 by Stevens, failed in the Senate Judiciary Committee on February 17, 2026. Because the Senate version is dead, HB 1971 cannot become law this session.
But let’s be crystal clear: That failure does NOT absolve the House members for their treachery. Andrew Farmer, Fred Atchley, and every single co-prime sponsor who backed this bill still voted with their names and their reputations to gut our rights. They still tried to slam the courthouse door in the face of the people they represent. Their names are now permanently attached to this attack on liberty, and Tennesseans should never forget it.
The fight for our rights didn’t end yesterday – it continues. These Establishment Trans-publicans have shown their true colors. It’s time to hold them accountable at the ballot box and make sure no more bills like HB 1971 ever see the light of day in Tennessee.
Liberty first. Always.