The Tennessee state Senate passed legislation that allows teachers and staff at K-12 public schools to carry concealed handguns on school grounds.

The GOP-led legislative body approved the measure by a 26-5 vote.

Legislators passed the bill despite a raucous protest in the Senate gallery by gun control advocates.

Protestors shouted “No more silence, end gun violence,” and “Kill the bill, not the kids.”

S.B. 1325 now moves to the Tennessee House of Representatives.

The Tennessean reports:

Discussion over the bill halted as a group of around 200 gun-reform advocates voiced their opposition in the Senate gallery. Several were holding signs, and the crowd reacted by snapping their fingers in support or hissing in dissent as Senators debated the bill. Some spoke out during the early parts of the discussion.

After repeated warnings about disruptions, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, called for state troopers to clear the gallery. He permitted a group of mothers of Covenant School students to stay, saying they had not caused a disruption.

Around 25 people initially refused to leave, drawing the attention of several troopers. Eventually troopers told those who remained they would be arrested if they did not leave.

“There is no reason for you all to go to jail,” one told the group still in their seats.

As debate resumed on the bill, chants, cheering and shouts could be heard just outside the Senate chambers.

From The Hill:

The bill was passed by the state’s upper legislative chamber about a year after the mass shooting at The Covenant School, a private Christian school in Nashville, which left three children and three adult staff members dead.

If enacted, the bill would prevent the disclosure of which employees have concealed guns to parents of students and other teachers. The law allows the employees to carry a concealed handgun only if they met certain requirements, including having an enhanced carry permit and being authorized by the director of schools, the principal of the school and the chief of the local law enforcement agency.

The employee would also need to complete a background check and a psychiatric evaluation. It would require them to have successfully completed 40 hours in basic training for school policing as well as 40 hours of Peace Officer’s Standards and Training commission-approved training that is specific to school policing.

The law has faced immediate pushback from advocacy groups and Democratic lawmakers. The Tennessee chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action both condemned the legislation in statements.

 

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