State argues National Guard is army, not ‘militia.’ Why it matters
Gov. Bill Lee is seeking a quick resolution in the legal case over the deployment of the Tennessee National Guard to Memphis. (Patrick Lantrip/The Daily Memphian)
Recent legal filings and a statement from the governor’s office shows that the legality of the guard’s Memphis deployment could hinge on whether the Tennessee National Guard is an army or a militia.
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Tennessee National Guard Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee Memphis Safe Task Force Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan SkrmettiSamuel Hardiman
Samuel Hardiman is an enterprise and investigative reporter who focuses on local government and politics. He began his journalism career at the Tulsa World in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he covered business and, later, K-12 education. Hardiman came to Memphis in 2018 to join the Memphis Business Journal, covering government and economic development. He then served as the Memphis Commercial Appeal’s city hall reporter and later joined The Daily Memphian in 2023. His current work focuses on Elon Musk’s xAI, regional energy needs and how Memphis and Shelby County government spend taxpayer dollars.
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