Tennessee House Republicans passed a bill on Tuesday that would allow some teachers and staff to carry concealed handguns in public schools despite intense opposition from Democrats, students, gun-reform advocates, and parents of school shooting survivors. The legislation, which easily sailed through the House on a 68-28 vote, is now headed to Republican Governor Bill Lee for consideration.
Protestors in the galleries chanted “Blood on your hands” as soon as the bill passed, prompting House Speaker Cameron Sexton to order state troopers to clear the galleries. Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting against the bill, with another three abstaining from the vote.
The legislation 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 measure presents a starkly different response to last years Covenant School shooting in Nashville, where six people were killed, Lee’s proposed measures to keep guns away from people deemed a danger to themselves or others.
Republicans rejected several Democratic attempts to amend the bill, including requiring teachers to keep their handguns locked up except during a school security breach, holding teachers civilly liable for using their handgun on campus, and informing parents when guns are on campus.
Democrats were broadly critical of the bill, skeptical it could effectively stop a school shooter and concerned about unintended consequences such as a teacher leaving a gun unattended for a student to find or increased force during in-school discipline issues. Republican House Democratic Caucus Chair John Ray Clemmons called it “nothing but a bad disaster and tragedy waiting to happen.”
The bill’s passage comes less than a year since the deadly Covenant School shooting in Nashville, where three children and three adults were killed. The proponents of the measure argue that trained staff can increase school security, particularly in rural areas where law enforcement may be more sparsely staffed with greater response times to far-flung communities.
Republicans in favor of the bill argued it would protect students and act as a deterrent for potential school security threats. “I believe this is the method by which we can do that,” sponsor Rep. Ryan Williams said, emphasizing the permissive nature of the bill, allowing no school to be required to allow guns on campus.
However, opponents argue that introducing more guns into schools will endanger children and that teachers should focus on education rather than becoming armed guards. The measure faces significant opposition from gun reform advocates who criticize the lack of mandatory training requirements and the secrecy clause in the bill which bars school administrators from revealing who in the school is armed.
Protesters continued to gather outside the chamber doors as lawmakers wrapped up for the day. Sexton later cleared the galleries, with troopers flooding into the Capitol rotunda to block access from much of the hallway. The debate over the bill sparked heated accusations between members on both sides and several votes against House rules.
The legislation would require staff carrying a handgun to have a handgun carry permit and written authorization from the schools principal and local law enforcement, as well as undergo 40 hours of handgun training. It remains unclear if any school districts will take advantage of this bill should it become law. Tennessee has a long history of loosening gun laws, including the 2016 law allowing armed school workers in rural counties and the recent permit-less carry law for handguns backed by Lee. The passage of this bill marks another significant expansion of gun access in the state.
