Tennessee Senate votes to arm teachers one year after elementary school shooting

RRepublican lawmakers in Tennessee introduced a proposal Tuesday that would allow teachers, principals and school staff to carry guns on public school grounds. After a 26-5 vote in the Senate, the proposal is now ready for a vote in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives.

According to the American news agency Associated Press This is one of the largest expansions in gun access in the state since a deadly shooting at a private elementary school last year. In March 2023, three children and three adults were shot at a primary school.

Lots of loud protests

“I am angry. My child is at risk because of this law,” said Democratic Senator London Lamar, holding her eight-month-old son. “This law is dangerous and teachers don’t want it. Nobody wants it.”

“I saw a lot of people laughing like it was funny,” Lamar added, according to the television station News Channel 5 Nashville added. “I feel insulted by many of my colleagues in the room. This is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation to come out of this Assembly. They swore an oath to teach our children to write and do math, and we are now making them law enforcement. It will enable the next school shooter. It will be a teacher in the next legislation. Use common sense.”

How CBS News According to reports, Senate Speaker Randy McNally had to clear the stands after many protesters refused to calm down despite repeatedly warning them about being disruptive. In the nearly 15 minutes it took to remove the audience and resume debate, they continued to chant: “Vote her out!” “Stop the silence, stop the gun violence” and “Kill the bill, not the children.” “.

Law is intended to protect students from other students

Only a handful of Republican senators spoke in favor of the bill, emphasizing that teachers would not be required to be armed or use their weapons in active shooter situations. They argued that this could be particularly helpful in rural counties with limited law enforcement resources.

“It's time we look at the facts of the bill, that we're not trying to shoot a student, we're trying to protect a student from an active shooter whose sole purpose is to get into this school and kill people said Republican Senator Ken Yager.

Anyone wishing to carry a weapon would have to have a permit to carry handguns, have written permission from both the school principal and local law enforcement, pass a background check and undergo 40 hours of firearms training. The bill would prohibit disclosing to parents of students and other teachers which employees carry guns. Only the school administration and the police would be informed.

Numerous measures would make access to weapons easier

As several American media outlets report, Republicans in Tennessee have pushed to loosen gun laws over the years – including allowing license-free carry of handguns in 2021.

Most recently, a proposal came out of committee that would expand the state's permit-to-carry law to include long guns. The original law allowed residents 21 and older to carry handguns in public without a permit.

Separately, Senate Republicans introduced a “right to keep and bear arms” amendment to the Tennessee Constitution on Tuesday. The law would be expanded beyond defense and would eliminate a section that allows lawmakers to “regulate the carrying of arms to prevent crime.” If passed, it wouldn't be on the ballot until 2026.