Tennessee teachers will be allowed to carry concealed handguns on public school property under a bill signed Friday by Gov. Bill Lee.
Lee, a Republican, had announced his support for the proposal a day earlier, flanked by Republican legislative leaders who helped pass the bill in the Republican-dominated General Assembly.
“What’s important is that we give school districts the tools and options to use the tools to keep our kids safe,” Lee told reporters.
Tennessee will soon pass a law that would ban adults from identifying minors and assisting them with gender reassignment treatment.
As the idea of arming teachers began to gain support within the General Assembly, gun control advocates and families began flocking to the Capitol to voice their opposition. During the runoff, demonstrators chanted “blood on our hands,” and after the vote, many who opposed the bill verbally abused Republican lawmakers, prompting House Speaker Cameron Sexton to remove the gallery. commanded.
FILE – Tennessee Governor Bill Lee answers questions during a press conference on Tuesday, April 11, 2023 in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/George Walker IV, File)
The law, which takes effect immediately, prohibits parents and other teachers from knowing who is armed at school.
School principals, school districts, and law enforcement must agree to allow employees to carry guns, and then employees who want to carry a handgun must have a permit to carry a handgun and written permission from the school principal and local law enforcement. becomes. They must also pass a background check and undergo 40 hours of handgun training. Guns were not allowed at school events such as stadiums, gymnasiums, and auditoriums.
The bill would be the latest in gun violence in the state since last year’s mass shooting, when a gunman opened fire indiscriminately at a private elementary school in Nashville, killing three children and three adults before being shot and killed by police. This will be the largest expansion of imports.
Mr. Lee initially urged lawmakers to keep guns away from people who appear to be a danger to themselves or others in the wake of the shootings, but the Republican supermajority ignored those calls.
Many Covenant families had met with Lee and other lawmakers in hopes of convincing them to abandon the idea of arming teachers. On the final day of the legislative session, Covenant families announced they had collected approximately 4,300 signatures from Tennesseans opposing public school employees carrying weapons on campus.
“While there are people across the state who disagree with the way forward, we all agree that we have to keep our children safe,” Lee said Thursday.
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It’s unclear which school districts will take advantage of the bill if it becomes law. For example, Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson Sean Braisted said the district believes it is “best and safest for only authorized active law enforcement to carry weapons on campus.” said.
