Written by Don Byrd
In East Tennessee’s La Follette, Pastor Andrew Hamblin is on a mission to overturn the state’s law prohibiting the ownership of venomous snakes. His argument? That the law conflicts with his religious exercise, which regularly involves snake-handling as a test of faith.
He put the issue before local leaders at the Campbell County Commission. Monday night, commissioners voted on a resolution to repeal the state law.
The resolution failed, by a 10 to two vote.
…
Though the resolution failed, Hamblin doesn’t plan to change his form of worship anytime soon. He also promises to continue his fight to change Tennessee law.“Our people of our faith deserve that, just like any other people of their faith deserves the right to have legal grounds to say – ‘Hey, I can worship how I feel led to worship.'”
It’s been a long time since I took 8th Grade Civics, but I’m pretty sure a County Commission can’t repeal a state law, even if the vote is unanimous. That issue aside, might venomous snake ownership be one of those concerns that is so dangerous, and such a potentially public nuisance, that an exemption for religious exercise would be inappropriate? I mean, we’re talking rattlesnakes here, not hallucinogenic tea.
