Public health crisis or constitutional right? Lawmakers address guns from different angles with new bills

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — We appear to be poised for an additional yr on Tennessee’s Capitol Hill with the subject of weapons as soon as once more within the crosshairs.

Tennessee Speaker of the Home Cameron Sexton signaled Tuesday there could possibly be new laws that might increase Tennessee into a real constitutional carry state, however he did not have further particulars to share simply but.

“I voted for the constitutional carry facet final time; I feel it’s any individual’s proper to arm themselves,” mentioned Speaker Sexton.

However Sexton did reply questions on one other Republican-filed invoice involving weapons in Tennessee school rooms.

Home Invoice 41 would permit a Director of Faculties in any Tennessee county to deputize sure lecturers or college staff to hold firearms within the constructing.

“I feel regulation enforcement is warming as much as the thought. Not all lecturers — however possibly just a few of the lecturers may ought to be armed to assist them in sure conditions,” mentioned Speaker Sexton. “However they should undergo sure coaching and different necessities, so we’ll should see what that laws — if that has that in it.”

“It’s harmful and it places our kids at much more threat of being victims of gun violence,” mentioned Sen. London Lamar, a Democrat from Memphis.

Lamar, who additionally serves because the Democratic Senate Caucus Chair, is taking goal at gun violence in a really totally different method. She’s introducing Senate Invoice 17 as a method to assist households navigate gun violence by, first, classifying it as a public well being disaster.

“There are a selection of the way we could be utilizing state assets to cut back gun violence, and my invoice is making a non-cost method to try this,” mentioned Sen. Lamar. “We wish to see battle decision abilities inside our faculties by having the Division of Schooling create a program. And we wish to do on-site interventions. Most occasions, after gun violence occurs, households are in an uproar on the hospital, so we wish to have individuals on website, able to mitigate these points.”

Two events, two very alternative ways to drag the set off on retaining Tennesseans secure.

The deadline to file laws is on the finish of January, so we might see a number of extra items of laws filed till then.