ANOTHER SMALL BUT SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD FOR CIVIL RIGHTS:

Law-abiding citizens will be able to use deadly force in self-defense in more places under legislation that unanimously passed the state Senate Thursday and is on its way to becoming law.

Currently, Tennesseans can use deadly force when faced with a threat of death or serious injury in their own homes. The bill approved by the Senate Thursday and by the House last week extends those areas to include all homes and vehicles, regardless of who owns them.

Another bill involving the use of weapons also got the nod this week. That bill would prevent the governor or any local official from confiscating weapons or restricting their sale or transportation during a state of emergency or disaster.

Police confiscated guns in New Orleans during the violent aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, sparking concern among gun-rights advocates who said it left citizens helpless against marauding thugs.

This seems to be a trend across quite a few states. That’s good. And if I’m not mistaken, what’s being expanded isn’t the right to self-defense, but the “no retreat” rule. I believe that this establishes a presumption that people have a reasonable belief that they’re threatened whenever an intruder is present in their home or vehicle. I haven’t seen the actual bill, though.

UPDATE: Here’s a summary of the legislation. (Via A.C. Kleinheider).