Tennessee state representative Vince Dean. Staff Photo by Patrick SmithA lobbying effort against a bill that would allow fireworks sales in East Ridge is merely a pause before the grand finale, according to the lawmaker pushing its passage.
“The opposition is unfounded,” state Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, said Tuesday. “I really don’t understand it. I have a majority.”
The bill would not require fireworks sales in East Ridge, but its passage would allow City Council members to explore a market historically dominated by rural counties and towns.
Under state law, vendors in Tennessee’s most populated counties – Shelby, Davidson, Knox and Hamilton – cannot sell fireworks.
Hamilton County Commissioner Tim Boyd, whose district includes East Ridge, wants to keep it that way.