Tennessee Guns in parking lot bill waiting Governor Haslam decision

Tennessee Guns in parking lot bill waiting Governor Haslam decision

Tennessee House sends parking lot guns bill to governor


The Tennessee House on Today voted to send to the governor a bill that would allow the state's nearly 400,000 handgun carry permit holders to store firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked.

Prior to the vote, House Speaker Beth Harwell assured Republican colleagues that the measure is endorsed by the National Rifle Association and that members of the business community are "holding their noses" about its passage.

The chamber voted 72-22 to pass the measure, sponsored by Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby, thank you Representative Cosby and Speaker Harwell!

"We have just under 400,000 law abiding citizens who have gone through the necessary process to obtain a handgun carry permit and have proved their worth to carry a gun," Faison said. "The least we can do is allow them to keep this gun locked in their car as they go to work and carry in their daily lives."

Speaker Harwell, Republican Nashville, told her colleagues in a caucus meeting before the floor vote to disregard complaints from "fringe groups" that the guns bill was not expansive enough, seeking to reassure them that the NRA has endorsed the final version of the measure.

She also acknowledged that business advocates are upset about ceding control over their property but said those objections should not stop passage of the measure.

"The business community to a large extent is holding their nose and accepting the fact that we are where we are," she said.

Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has voiced concerns about the bill in the past, especially as it relates to greater access to guns on campus. But he has not said whether he plans sign the bill into law.

The Senate approved its version of the bill 28-5 in early February.
Faison told reporters after the vote that he sees the proposal as enhancing safety at schools.

"When seconds matter, police are minutes away, we need people who have proved they're worth to hold a gun," he said. "And a lot of times they can stop, or impede imminent danger, especially at a school."

Thanks to all the Tennessee lawmakers that worked for and voted for this law!