By Dave Workman
Editor-in-Chief
Tennessee gun control proponents have reacted with fury over passage of a bill which, if signed by Gov. Bill Lee, will allow teachers and administrators in the state to be armed on campus, provided they volunteer and meet all of the requirements.
The Tennessee House passed the bill by a vote of 68-28 will all Democrats voting against it, along with four Republican defectors. It still requires the governor’s signature, however.
According to CBS News, protesters accused lawmakers of having “blood on your hands” and they engaged in other types of haranguing to the point House Speaker Cameron Sexton ordered the spectator galleries cleared.
Under conditions of the bill, a school employee who volunteers for the program must meet several requirements. The individual must have a valid concealed carry permit. They must also clear a background check and complete a 40-hour course on firearms and handgun training. Their identities would be kept secret from parents, other teachers and staff, and they would not be authorized to carry firearms at school events in auditoriums, stadiums or gymnasiums.
Another requirement is that they must have written authorization from the school principal and local law enforcement.
The measure was introduced in reaction to last year’s shooting at the Covenant School in Nashville. The killer in that March 2023 attack was an individual allegedly going through gender transition, who had once attended the school, according to published reports at the time. The shooter was fatally shot by responding police officers who quickly arrived at the school and within four minutes of entering, cornered the suspect on the second floor. Police body cam videos released at the time showed how the officers quickly moved from room to room and then moved upstairs.
