Tennessee lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a GOP-backed bill Tuesday that will allow teachers to carry firearms on school grounds, although the names of armed instructors will not be released to the public.
Earlier this month, Tennessee Republican lawmakers joined together to pass Senate Bill 1325 by a vote of 26 to 5. The bill allows a teacher or faculty member who meets certain requirements to possess and carry a firearm on school grounds.
To carry a firearm, teachers must have a firearm permit, have written authorization from both the school principal and local law enforcement, and undergo 40 hours of firearms training. The worker should also not be prohibited from purchasing, possessing and carrying a gun under federal or Tennessee law, as determined by a background check.
On Tuesday, the House of Representatives of the state Legislature continued to push the bill into law by passing the sister bill by a vote of 68-28. It now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk to be signed into law.
TENNESSEE LEGAL PASS LAW ALLOWING TEACHERS TO CARRY GUNS IN SCHOOL ONE YEAR AFTER DEADLY NASHVILLE SHOOTING
Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale walks by the Children’s Ministry desk. (1:57) (Twitter @MNPDNashville)
Last year, a fatal shooting at The Covenant School, a private Christian elementary school in Nashville, left three children and three adults dead.
The state Senate’s passage of the bill sparked protests from teachers, students, Democratic lawmakers and even Covenant school parents.
On Tuesday, protesters chanted, “Blood on your hands,” before House Speaker Cameron Sexton asked state police to remove them from the balcony, FOX 17 in Nashville reported.
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A Tennessee bill would allow state school teachers to carry firearms on school grounds. (iStock)
Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, called the bill “morally insane.”
“Republicans continue to hold our state hostage,” he reportedly said. “God have mercy on you so that you do not listen to the pain of these mothers who say to protect children, not weapons.”
One of the bill’s sponsors, Sen. Paul Bailey, said the bill allows staff and teachers to carry guns if they choose, but to carry a gun, they must go through 40 hours of training and undergo a psychological evaluation.
Rep. Ryan Williams, another sponsor of the bill, said the standards teachers must meet in order to meet in a Tennessee school will be “very high.”
The law is considered “100% permissive,” according to Williams, and its implementation is up to school districts. Approval also falls to law enforcement and school administrators.
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The Tennessee Capitol in Nashville, Tennessee. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey)
Williams also said the bill is intended to be a deterrent, adding that the identities of teachers who carry guns would not be revealed.
Still, Rep. Jason Powell, D-Nashville, said the law “turns my stomach” and added that it is dangerous.
“It’s going to have dangerous impacts around the world,” Powell reportedly said. “Think about law enforcement. This will delay responses. It’s going to endanger law enforcement. How will they know who is the aggressor and who is the master with the gun?”
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Tennessee’s Republican governor, Bill Lee, is expected to sign a bill that would allow teachers to carry firearms in school. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Lee did not respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
Before its passage, proponents of the bill argued that teachers and professors could serve as a more immediate response force to a shooting situation. They said it could be particularly useful in rural counties with limited law enforcement resources.
The controversial bill comes about a year after a deadly shooting last March at The Covenant School. The shooter, who was killed at the scene by police, killed three children and three adults during the shooting.
The bill also comes amid a larger push by Tennessee Republicans to loosen gun laws, including approving permitless carry of firearms in 2021.
The initiative includes an effort to expand the state’s illegal carry law to include long guns.
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The original law allowed residents over the age of 21 to carry firearms in public without a permit. Two years later, Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti allowed young people between the ages of 18 and 20 to carry guns in public.
Lawmakers also passed a bill that would allow private schools with preschool classes to have guns on campus. The governor has not yet signed it into law.
Lawrence Richard of Fox News Digital and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
