Tennessee
There’s already at Tennessee law that allows teachers to carry concealed guns
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – Chaos erupted this week after the Tennessee Senate voted to pass a bill that would let a teacher carry a concealed gun, but as WSMV4 found out there’s already a law like this in the books.
The legislature passed the bill in 2016 so Pickett County and Wayne County could allow their teachers to be armed, however, they ran into problems with training and insurance.
“The superintendent wanted it,” explained Sen. Joey Hensley, R-Hohenwald. “He was the one who asked us for the bill because they didn’t have SROs (school resource officers).”
Hensley sponsored the bill eight years ago which only allowed the two counties to let their school staff carry guns.
Those counties were deemed “distressed” at the time and met certain population requirements. Hensley said since they are rural counties, it took time for a deputy to get to a school and respond to an emergency.
“We wanted to be able to allow some of the teachers and administrators to carry a concealed weapon so that’s why we passed the bill,” he added.
The 2024 bill senators passed this week requires a school employee to get 40 hours of training, a background check, and a psychological evaluation. The 2016 bill only required a staff member to get the 40-hour training; Hensley said that’s when the problems started.
“The people who actually ran the POST (Peace Officer Standards & Training Commission) certification training did not want to allow someone who wasn’t law enforcement to receive the training and they informed the sheriff that he might be liable if something happened,” he said.
The law was never implemented in their county. Hensley said that’s what makes the new bill, which he voted to pass, difficult.
“This is a very complicated bill because if anyone of those three doesn’t want to do it – the principal, superintendent, or sheriff – doesn’t want to allow it, then they can’t do it,” he added.
Since Wayne and Pickett counties are no longer deemed “distressed,” the law no longer applies to them.
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.
Tennessee
Vols Make Splash Hire With Jim Knowles | VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Tennessee Football | The RTI Low Down | Rocky Top Insider
On this week’s episode of The RTI Low Down, Bob Baskerville and Chris Low are diving into a huge week for the Tennessee Football program.
The guys start the show by discussing the Vols’ big move to fire Tim Banks and the splash hire in acquiring defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.
Bob and Chris are then joined by VFL and SEC Legend Kevin Burnett to talk about his time on Rocky Top, his thoughts on playing under defensive coordinators, Josh Heupel’s current team, and more.
The guys close down the show by breaking down Tennessee’s 2026 schedule, Vol Hoops’ tough test on the hardwood this week, and much more. Download and subscribe TODAY!
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The RTI Low-Down is brought to you by the Tate Insurance Group. Find out more information at www.tateinsurancegroup.com
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More from RTI: Tennessee Football 2025 Transfer Tracker – Who has Announced They’re Entering the Portal So Far
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YouTube –
0:00 Intro
8:30 Tennessee Fires Tim Banks, Hires Jim Knowles
21:25 VFL Kevin Burnett Talks Vol Football!
43:20 UT 2026 Schedule
50:17 Tennessee Basketball Faces Huge Test on Tuesday
1:01:06 Close
Tracking the opt outs for both Tennessee and Illinois before the Music City Bowl on December 30 (5:30 p.m. Eastern Time, ESPN) at Nissan Stadium in Nashville:
Tennessee
Linebacker Arion Carter: Carter over the last seasons had 96 tackles, 13.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in 31 career games. He had a team-high 76 tackles this season, with 6.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while appearing in 10 games. He missed two games and was limited against Oklahoma in November while dealing with turf toe injuries. Carter had 68 tackles and 6.5 tackles for loss in 13 games last season and 17 tackles and 1.0 tackles for loss in eight games as a freshman in 2023.
Wide Receiver Chris Brazzell II: He a breakout senior season in his second year with the Vols, catching 62 passes for 1,017 yards and nine touchdowns. He had 19 catches for 333 yards and two touchdowns in 2024, after transferring from Tulane. In 15 games at Tulane he caught 45 passes for 722 yards and five touchdowns. Brazzell is ranked No. 7 at wide receiver on Mel Kiper Jr.’s NFL Draft Big Board. He’s ranked No. 34 overall on ESPN’s list of the best available prospects in the draft.
Cornerback Jermod McCoy: Did not play this season after tearing his ACL during offseason training in January. He was a star last season with 44 tackles, nine passes defended and four interceptions. He had 31 tackles and two interceptions in 12 games as a freshman at Oregon State before transferring to Tennessee.
Illinois
Offensive Tackle J.C. Davis: Bret Bielema said the Illinois starting left tackle is opting out of the Music City Bowl. He was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the league coaches this season and the No. 3 left tackle this season according to Pro Football Focus grades. He had made 49 straight starts before opting out of the bowl game.
EDGE Gabe Jacas: The Illinois outside linebacker declared for the NFL Draft on Friday night. He led the Big Ten this season with 11.0 sacks. He had 13.5 tackles for loss and 43 total tackles in 12 games this season. He finishes second in Illinois program history for career sacks, with 27.0, trailing only Simeon Rice. Jacas had 74 tackles, 8.0 sacks and 13.0 tackles for loss last season, after combining for 8.0 sacks and 9.0 tackles for loss in his first two seasons at Illinois.
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