Tennessee House Passes Bill Expanding Gun Access in Public Schools, Sparking Protests
In a move that has ignited protests and controversy, the Tennessee House of Representatives has approved a bill that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns on public school grounds. The 68-28 vote in favor of the bill sends it to Republican Gov. Bill Lee for consideration. If he signs it into law, it would be the biggest expansion of gun access in the state since last year’s deadly shooting at a private elementary school in Nashville.
The measure has sparked strong reactions from both supporters and opponents. Protesters gathered outside the state Capitol on Tuesday, chanting “Blood on your hands” at Republican lawmakers as they exited the House chamber. Opponents argue that the bill will create a dangerous environment for students and staff, while supporters say it is a necessary step to protect against potential school shootings.
The bill, which the state Senate previously passed, would bar disclosing which employees are carrying guns beyond school administrators and police, including to students’ parents and even other teachers. A principal, school district, and law enforcement agency would have to agree to let staff carry guns. The proposal presents a starkly different response to The Covenant School shooting than Lee proposed last year. Republican legislators quickly cast aside his push to keep guns away from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
A veto by Lee appears unlikely, as it would be his first. Lawmakers would only need a simple majority of each chamber’s members to override it. The bill’s sponsor, Republican state Rep. Ryan Williams, defended the measure before the vote, saying, “What you’re doing is you’re creating a deterrent. Across our state, we have had challenges as it relates to shootings.”
Republicans rejected a series of Democratic amendments, including parental consent requirements, notification when someone is armed, and the school district assuming civil liability for any injury, damage, or death due to staff carrying guns. Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones condemned the bill, saying, “My Republican colleagues continue to hold our state hostage, hold our state at gunpoint to appeal to their donors in the gun industry. It is morally insane.”
In the chaos following the vote, Democratic and Republican lawmakers accused each other of violating House rules. Only Democratic state Rep. Justin Jones was reprimanded for recording on his phone. He was barred from speaking on the floor through Wednesday.
It’s unclear if any school districts would take advantage of the new law if it is enacted. The Metro Nashville Public Schools spokesperson, Sean Braisted, said the district believes “it is best and safest for only approved active-duty law enforcement to carry weapons on campus.”
According to the Giffords Law Center, about half of the U.S. states in some form allow teachers or other employees with concealed carry permits to carry guns on school property. Iowa’s governor recently signed a bill creating a professional permit for trained school employees to carry at schools, protecting them from criminal or civil liability for using reasonable force.
In March 2023, a shooter indiscriminately opened fire at The Covenant School in Nashville, killing three children and three adults before being killed by police. Despite coordinated campaigns urging significant gun control measures, lawmakers have largely refused. They have dismissed proposals by Democrats and even by Lee during regular annual sessions and a special session, even as parents of Covenant students shared accounts of the shooting and its lasting effects.
Under the bill passed Tuesday, workers who want to carry handguns would need a handgun carry permit, written authorization from the school’s principal and local law enforcement, a clear background check, and 40 hours of handgun training. They would not be allowed to carry guns at school events held in stadiums, gymnasiums, or auditoriums.
Tennessee passed a 2016 law allowing armed school workers in two rural counties, but it was not implemented, according to WPLN-FM. Tennessee Republicans have consistently loosened gun laws, including passing a permit-less carry law for handguns backed by Lee in 2021. Two years later, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti extended eligibility to 18- to 20-year-olds amid an ongoing lawsuit.
Following the school shooting last year, Tennessee Republicans passed a law bolstering protections against lawsuits involving gun and ammunition dealers, manufacturers, and sellers. This year, lawmakers and the governor have authorized private schools with pre-kindergarten classes to have guns on campus. Private schools without pre-K were already allowed to decide whether to permit people to bring guns on their grounds.
While advancing some narrow gun limitations, the legislature and governor have not addressed broader gun control measures. One bill awaiting the governor’s signature would involuntarily commit certain criminal defendants for inpatient treatment and temporarily remove their gun rights if they are ruled incompetent for trial due to intellectual disability or mental illness. Another bill still needs Senate approval and would remove the gun rights of juveniles deemed delinquent due to certain offenses until the age of 25.
