NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — In a rare move, Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti won't defend a new law in court that makes it a felony for elected officials to vote in favor of sanctuary city policies.

The law, which passed during the special legislative session in January, drew criticism from some on both sides of the aisle.

"This seems like a First Amendment kind of issue," Sen. Heidi Campbell (D-Nashville) said during a committee hearing on the bill. "This seems like a free speech kind of issue."

One Republican expressed concern over the standard it could establish.

"If we set the precedent of penalizing any elected official for voting their conscience, whether it's good or bad ... then we've set a dangerous precedent for the future," Sen. Todd Gardenhire (R-Chattanooga) said

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