Tennessee lawmakers on Tuesday passed a bill that would allow school staff to carry concealed handguns on campus, sparking protesters to rally at the state Capitol in Nashville.
The Republican-backed bill passed in a 68-28 vote and will now head to the desk of GOP Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, according to The Washington Post. The measure was previously passed in the state Senate earlier this month.
Under the legislation, which mirrors a similar bill passed by Indiana in February, faculty and staff members who wish to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds would need to complete at least 40 hours of approved training specific to school policing each year.
The legislation comes after school shootings across the country continue. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, an independent, nonpartisan organization dedicated to reducing gun violence in the U.S., this year there have been at least 53 reports of gunfire on school grounds in the nation, resulting in 19 deaths and 37 injuries.
The measure sparked outrage from teachers, students and parents who took to the state Capitol, asking legislators to pass common-sense gun laws instead of allowing firearms inside classrooms.
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Local Fox News 17 shared a series of videos on X, formerly Twitter, showing the protesters as the bill was passed.
The demonstrators could be heard in the gallery, chanting, “Blood on your hands,” “Not one more,” and “Guns out of schools” during Tuesday’s floor proceedings.
Democratic lawmakers also weighed in on the bill, also condemning the legislation. In a post to X, Democratic state Representative Justin Jones of Nashville, said: “Tennessee Republicans just cut off debate and passed a bill to arm teachers in our schools. The public chanted “Blood on your hands!” as the Speaker ordered troopers to clear the gallery. This is what fascism looks like,” Jones wrote on X.
According to local WZTV News, another Democratic state representative, Jason Powell, also of Nashville, took aim at the bill as he said, it “makes me sick to my stomach. This is dangerous. It’s going to have dangerous impacts all around. Think about law enforcement. It’s going to delay responses. It’s going to put law enforcement in danger. How will they know who’s the assailant and who’s the teacher with the gun?”
Republican state Representative Ryan Williams, who sponsored the House bill, said the law would act as a “deterrent,” adding that it is a “100% permissive” bill that would be up to school districts with local law enforcement to be in agreement before teachers can carry a weapon on campus.
“The components of this bill are not about an SRO [School Resource Officer]. It’s to create a deterrent that someone will walk by everyday and see there’s somebody on campus carrying besides an SRO,” Williams said in a statement.
Newsweek has reached out to Williams and Republican state Senator Paul Bailey, who sponsored the bill, via email for comment on Tuesday.
Everytown for Gun Safety said the legislation is not a solution, urging Lee to veto the bill.
“The solution to school shootings isn’t arming teachers—it’s passing common-sense laws to keep guns away from people who have no business being armed,” John Feinblatt, president of Everytown, said in a statement. “The passage of this reckless law is a black mark on the history of the Tennessee legislature, and we urge Governor Lee to listen to concerned parents and teachers and veto it.”
Lee can either sign the bill or allow it to become law without his signature. He has not vetoed any legislation as governor.
Newsweek also reached out to Lee via email for comment on Tuesday night.
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.