Ramsey Says No Sotomayor on Court

Lt Governor Ron Ramsey - candidate for Governor in the Republican Primary - weighs in on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the United State Supreme Court:

"While Judge Sonia Sotomayor has a very compelling life story and has accomplished a great deal, Tennesseans should strongly encourage their U.S. Senators to vote “no” on her elevation to the U.S. Supreme Court. 

As sponsor of Tennessee’s right-to-carry law, I am deeply concerned that she will continue to ignore the fundamental rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment.  Just last year, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment guarantees both an individual’s right to own firearms and a right to self-defense.  However, Judge Sotomayor ignored this ruling and held in 2009 that the Second Amendment applies only to federal gun control measures, NOT state gun control.

She is clearly willing to allow state governments to enact gun control measures which fly in the face of the constitutional right to defend our loved ones as well as ourselves.  This could undo Tennessee’s right-to-carry permit law in addition to other Second Amendment protections passed by the state legislature, one of which was passed over a gubernatorial veto just this year. 

Judge Sotomayor should not be elevated to the U.S. Supreme Court.  She is a liberal judicial activist who has shown a willingness to disregard the fundamental rights found within the Second Amendment.  All Tennesseans who value their right to own firearms and defend themselves should be deeply troubled by the possibility of Judge Sotomayor’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court."  Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey