The Tennessee House on Tuesday passed legislation allowing teachers and members of school staff to carry firearms on campus. The move comes more than a year after the mass shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville.
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The bill was met with controversy, with Democrats arguing that this measure would make children less safe. Proponents of the bill argue that it would make it easier to stop would-be mass shooters from murdering schoolchildren.
Tennessee House Republicans on Tuesday passed legislation to allow some trained teachers and school staff to carry handguns despite pleas from Democrats, students and gun-reform advocates to defeat the bill.
Dozens of protestors in the galleries began chanting “Blood on your hands” as soon as the legislation passed, prompting House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, to order state troopers to clear the galleries. Many protestors continued to chant and stomp down at lawmakers as the House floor fell into chaos over parliamentary issues.
Four Republicans ultimately crossed the aisle to join Democrats in voting against the bill, with another three abstaining from the vote. Still, the measure easily sailed through the House on a 68-28 vote and is all but guaranteed to become law within weeks, as Gov. Bill Lee can either sign it into law or allow it to become law without his signature. Lee has never vetoed a bill.
Armed teachers, who will be required to undergo training that some opponents have argued is not intensive enough, will be allowed to carry handguns in their classrooms and in most campus situations without informing parents and most of their colleagues they’re armed.
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The bill will not require teachers to carry firearms but allows them to do so as long as they meet the appropriate requirements.
For those teachers wanting to carry a gun in school, it is a multi-step process.
Teachers wanting to carry will have to have:
- written authorization from the principal, the superintendent, and the head of law enforcement in their city/county
- complete 40 hours of basic train ing in school policing and 40 hours of POST commission-approved training that is specific to school policing each year to keep the authorization
- must obtain a background check
- undergo a psychological exam conducted by a Tennessee-licensed psychologist
Democrats made multiple efforts to amend the measure. They sought to add requirements for teachers to keep their handguns locked up and a provision holding educators civilly liable if they use their firearm on campus. Another amendment would have required the school to inform parents if a gun was to be present on campus. These amendments were voted down.
Democrats slammed the bill, arguing that it would not stop school shooters and could potentially place students in danger. State Rep. John Ray Clemmons characterized the measure as “a bad disaster and tragedy waiting to happen if we do not ensure personal responsibility” and asserted that “Our children’s lives are at stake.”
Before the bill was passed, a letter with more than 5,000 signatures was sent to Tennessee lawmakers urging them to vote agaist the bill.
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Parents of students at The Covenant School in Nashville, where a shooter killed three children and three staff members last spring, were behind the letter and the push for signatures. As of 1 p.m. Monday, the signature count came to 5,366 and included parents, grandparents, teachers, medical professionals, community members and others from all over Tennessee.
Organizers behind the letter said they were “devastated” to see the measure, SB1325/HB1202, pass the Senate amid vocal protests earlier this month. It could go before the full House for a vote this week as legislators wind down their regular session.
“While we all want safe schools and an end to gun violence, arming teachers with guns is not the way,” part of the letter read. “It ignores research that shows the presence of a gun increases the risks posed to children.”
Rep. Jason Powell said that law enforcement would not feel safe venturing into a school where there are guns present and predicted that it would “delay responses” and possibly cause confusion. “How are we going to know who is the assailant and who is the teacher with a gun,” he asked.
Other Democrats pushed back against the lack of a requirement to inform parents about the presence of firearms on campus.
“I’ve heard so many times about parental consent, that it’s a parent’s responsibility to raise their child,” said Rep. Justin Pearson, D-Memphis, who called the bill “absolutely insane” on Tuesday. “I also think it’s a parent’s job to know if their child is being put at risk by having someone in the classroom with a firearm that another child could find, that could be discharged and actually harm them or other kids.
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The debate over arming teachers has arisen any time a school shooting occurs. Proponents argue that hardening schools by employing robust security measures and having armed personnel on campus is the best chance for schools to stop would-be mass shooters. Opponents have focused solely on tightening gun restrictions, which have been shown to be ineffective when it comes to preventing mass shootings.
The concern over arming school staff is understandable, especially from a parent’s perspective. The fact that this even needs to be a conversation in the first place is not only disconcerting but also tragic. However, with the wave of school shootings that have happened over recent years, effective solutions are needed instead of gun control legislation intended to make people feel good without actually saving lives.