Tennessee Republicans, Nashville mayor back antisemitism bill

With support from Metro Nashville’s mayor, two Republican lawmakers are sponsoring a measure designed to handcuff hate groups such as those that targeted a synagogue and marched in Nashville last year. Notably, it prohibits the transport of people in box trucks, such as the rental vehicles used to carry neo-Nazi groups to Nashville locations, and gives police more latitude to charge people with violating the law. But one First Amendment expert said the bill is on “constitutional thin ice” even though California adopted a similar law. “It’s important to remember that hate speech is completely protected by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It’s not a close call. Hateful things are protected under the First Amendment no matter how ugly or disturbing or rude they happen to be,” said Ken Paulson, director of the Free Speech Center at MTSU in Murfreesboro. Allowing government to define hate speech would be “extraordinarily dangerous,” Paulson added, because each administration could find different things to be hateful.  Those committing hate crimes need to be held accountable, says Tennessee House Majority Leader Rep. William Lamberth of a proposed bill. (Photo: John Partipilo)  House Majority Leader William Lamberth sponsored a resolution in 2024 condemning neo-Nazis...