Tennessee lawmakers pass bill to arm school teachers with guns

1 of 2 | Rep. Justin Jones, D-Nashville, who was expelled aft joining a protestation connected nan House level pursuing a deadly shooting successful Nashville, blasted Tuesday's transition of a measurement that would limb schoolhouse teachers pinch handguns, saying "this measure is insane." Photo courtesy of Justin Jones/Facebook

April 23 (UPI) -- Tennessee lawmakers passed a measure Tuesday to limb teachers pinch guns. The bill, which now heads to nan governor's desk, comes 1 twelvemonth aft a wide shooting astatine a Nashville simple schoolhouse killed six people, including 3 children.

Tennessee's House of Representatives approved nan measure Tuesday day by a ballot of 68 to 28 amid dense information and large protests of "blood is connected your hands" and "vote them out" successful nan chamber, aft nan authorities Senate approved nan measure earlier successful this month.

"Tennessee Republicans conscionable trim disconnected statement and passed a measure to limb teachers successful our schools," Democratic Rep. Justin Jones wrote Tuesday in a post connected X.

"The nationalist chanted 'Blood connected your hands!' arsenic nan Speaker ordered troopers to clear nan gallery. This is what fascism looks like," nan lawmaker said.

HB 1202/SB 1325 would let specially-trained teachers to transportation concealed handguns without parents knowing which teachers were armed.

Republicans authorities Sen. Paul Bailey and authorities Rep. Ryan Williams introduced nan measure, which stalled much than a twelvemonth ago, to "create a deterrent" to schoolhouse shootings.

"I deliberation we request this bill," Williams said. "It's to create a deterrent. Because we each cognize nan deterrent is nan top worth we tin adhd astatine this point. It would beryllium difficult to support our kids unafraid because nan hearts of men are broken. It's 1 of these gun-free zones wherever group cognize they tin return advantage of folks."

"This is our guidance to students and teachers being murdered successful a school?" countered Democratic authorities Rep. Bo Mitchell. "Our guidance is to propulsion much guns astatine it. What's incorrect pinch us?"

The measure was introduced successful January 2023, much than 2 months earlier nan shooting astatine nan Covenant School wherever a former student killed 3 9-year-olds and 3 adults. Audrey Hale reportedly fired 152 rounds from an battle firearm during nan March 27, 2023, shooting spree that killed six people. She was killed by police.

House Democrats tried to amend nan measure to let parents to cognize if their child's coach is carrying a weapon, but without success.

"This measure is insane," said Jones, who was expelled past year complete what he called a Republican move to limit debate. "For God's sake, you don't hear. You should beryllium ashamed. You clasp our authorities astatine gunpoint. May populist spot you retired of your seats."

Under nan bill, teachers wanting to transportation guns would person to get a inheritance check, acquisition a psychological exam and person written authorization from nan principal, nan superintendent and nan caput of rule enforcement for their metropolis aliases county.

The teachers besides would person to complete 40 hours of training successful schoolhouse policing and 40 hours of training each year.

Several schoolhouse districts said they person nary plans to limb their teachers.

"We person a beardown narration pinch nan Metro Nashville Police Department and work together that it is safest for only approved active-duty rule enforcement officers to transportation weapons connected campus," said MNPS spokesperson Sean Braisted.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee precocious told reporters he would analyse nan measure thoroughly earlier signing, but said he supported nan idea.

"It's very important what nan specifications of that authorities would look like. I'm unfastened to nan idea. But very limited connected nan details."