Tennessee lawmakers passed a bill yesterday that, if signed, would allow teachers or school staff to carry concealed weapons in schools — a move that comes a little more than a year after six people were killed in a shooting at a Nashville school.
The bill — which passed the Tennessee House on Tuesday by a vote of 68 to 28 — allows teachers, principals or school staff to carry concealed weapons on school property if they obtain a gun permit and complete annual training.
The law, which was largely supported by Republicans and opposed by Democrats, did not pass without resistance: protesters chanting “blood on your hands” forced the Speaker to clear the gallery, reports The Tennessean.
Which teachers carry concealed weapons will not be known except to the school district’s administrative officer responsible for security, meaning parents would not be notified if their child’s teacher is carrying a weapon.
Some Republicans believe the bill will improve school security in parts of the state that are harder for police to reach, and Republican Rep. Ryan Williams, who supported the bill, said the goal is to protect students and deter potential threats to school safety, adding that he thinks the this is a way to make schools safer across the state, according to The Tennessean.
Schools can waive permission for staff to carry weapons, the bill’s sponsor, Republican Sen. Paul Bailey, told USA Today, although that is not spelled out in the bill’s text.
The bill passed the Republican-led Senate, where it was introduced, on April 9 by a vote of 26-5.
As many as 32 US states have some kind of law allowing teachers to carry guns in schools in grades 1-12, according to the Giffords Law Center. The circumstances surrounding what teachers are required to meet in order to be approved to carry a weapon vary from state to state, and in some states differ between private and public schools.
Tennessee Democrats strongly opposed the bill in both the House and Senate. After the bill passed the House on Tuesday, Tennessee Democrats in the Senate slammed Republicans, posting on the X Network that Republicans have a “shameful and reckless answer to gun violence in schools: more guns.”
Tennessee Democratic Sen. London Lamar said it was “disgusting” that the bill passed the House and called it “one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation to come out of this session,” adding, “more children are at risk of being affected … this is not pro-life “.
Will Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee, a Republican, sign the bill. It can become law without his signature, under Tennessee law, and Lee has never vetoed a bill.
In March 2023, a gunman entered a school in Nashville and opened fire, killing three students and three teachers before being killed by police. The gunman — who police said was a 28-year-old Nashville resident named Audrey Hale and a former student — entered the school with two rifles and a handgun. Officials said after the shooting that they believe Hale is transgender and left the manifest. The shooting was one of more than 650 mass shootings last year, the second-worst year for mass shootings since the Gun Violence Archive has been tracking data. The shooting was preceded by a special session of parliament where lawmakers considered proposals for mental health programs and resources that the state, which has relaxed gun laws, could provide to schools. But not much real change came from that session, Chalkbeat Tennessee reported, leaving parents, students and anti-gun advocates frustrated.
Molly Bohenon, Forbes reporter
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