In a win for the U.S. Constitution and state sovereignty, Tennessee lawmakers have strengthened an existing law banning state and local involvement in globalist United Nations initiatives, including its Agenda 21/2030 programs, while calling upon Congress to withdraw the United States from the UN.
Senate Bill 2743 (S.B. 2743), sponsored by state Senators Frank Niceley (R-Strawberry Plains) and Adam Lowe (R-Calhoun), had been introduced in January. Twelve representatives led by Dennis Powers (R-Jacksboro) sponsored a companion bill, House Bill 2117 (H.B. 2117), in the state House.
S.B. 2743 amends a state law enacted last year that protects private-property rights from infringements connected to the United Nations’ Agenda 2030 and related globalist programs. As The New American reported in January, this law declares:
(b) This state and its political subdivisions shall not adopt or implement policy recommendations that deliberately or inadvertently infringe or restrict private property rights without due process, as may be required by policy recommendations originating in, or traceable to, the United Nations or a subsidiary entity of the United Nations, including, but not limited to:
(1) “Agenda 21,” adopted by the United Nations in 1992 at its Conference on Environment and Development;
(2) The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, introduced at a United Nations Summit in 2015;
(3) The United Nations’ proposal to reach net zero emissions by 2050; or
(4) Another international law or ancillary plan of action that contravenes the constitution of the United States or the constitution of this state.
(c) Since the United Nations has accredited and enlisted numerous non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations to assist in the implementation of its policies relative to Agenda 21, [t]he 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, net zero goals for 2050, and its related plans and initiatives, this state and its political subdivisions shall not enter into an agreement, expend any sum of money, or provide financial aid to those non-governmental and intergovernmental organizations as described in or promoted by such plans and initiatives.
S.B. 2743 adds two new subsections making it easier to enforce the law. The first subsection requires every local government to annually submit a “written attestation to the comptroller of the treasury certifying that [it] has not sought or received a grant in intentional pursuit of” any of the banned UN programs.
The second subsection allows private citizens to bring a private cause of action against local governments accused of violating the law.
S.B. 2743 passed by a 24-5 vote in the Senate, and a 73-24 vote in the House. Both votes were party-line, with all Republicans supporting the bill, and all Democrats opposed. Governor Bill Lee signed S.B. 2743 into law on May 1.
Despite the original law’s enactment last year, there were already signs that local governments were not complying with it. For example, The Tennessee Conservative reported in November that the City of Knoxville remained a member of ICLEI — Local Governments for Sustainability — one of the leading nongovernmental organizations pushing for Agenda 2030 and “sustainable development” at the local level, despite the law’s prohibition of membership in such organizations. According to ICLEI’s website, Nashville and Chattanooga also are listed as members.
S.B. 2743 will put additional pressure on these localities to cut ties with ICLEI and other pro-Agenda 2030 groups. Even with the new legal provisions, these developments illustrate the need for vigilant and active citizens who can hold their elected officials accountable to the Constitution.
UN-withdrawal Resolution
The Tennessee General Assembly also passed House Joint Resolution 849 (H.J.R. 849), which urges “Congress and the President to withdraw the United States from the United Nations,” during the 2024 session. Sponsored by Representative Dennis Powers and five other representatives, the House voted 66-25 in favor of the resolution, and the Senate passed it via voice vote. As of this writing, H.J.R. 849 is awaiting Governor Bill Lee’s signature.
Noting that “the U.N. often pursues an agenda that runs counter to what America’s policy goals should be,” the resolution states:
WHEREAS, other U.N. initiatives threaten America’s sovereignty, such as the Law of the Sea Treaty, the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, and the Arms Trade Treaty; and
WHEREAS, the U.N. usurps people’s ability to govern themselves. An international body of individuals making decisions that impose restrictions on individual nations strips those nations of autonomy….
H.J.R. 849 cites several other problems with the United Nations, including the global body’s hostile attitude toward Israel and Venezuela’s membership in the UN Human Rights Council.
Paradoxically, despite the resolution’s call for UN withdrawal, it praises the United States’ “excellent relationship with the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),” and urges Congress and the president to “strengthen America’s ties with NATO.”
However, NATO is a subsidiary of the UN, established as a “regional arrangement” under Articles 52-54 of the UN Charter. In fact, the North Atlantic Treaty’s preamble affirms “the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations,” and Article 5 establishes the UN Security Council’s primacy over NATO. Accordingly, as TNA has previously reported, “Putting American troops under the command of NATO is putting them under UN command.” NATO further undermines U.S. interests by circumventing Congress’ constitutional power to declare war, and by increasing the likelihood of armed conflicts involving the United States.
If H.J.R. 849 were to consistently call for terminating U.S. membership in the UN System, it would also call for withdrawal from NATO, rather than for strengthened ties.
Nonetheless, S.B. 2743 and H.J.R. 849 are good, if small, steps toward pushing back against the UN and its schemes that contradict basic American principles. In order to see further and more extensive advances, it’s essential that patriots — through building an educated and activated electorate — hold their elected officials accountable to the U.S. Constitution and principles of liberty.
To urge your state legislators to outlaw Agenda 2030 and “sustainable development” schemes, visit The John Birch Society’s legislative alert here. Visit the JBS’s “Stop Agenda 2030” action-project page here for additional tools and resources.
