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Amid strident protests from families of the Covenant School shooting victims, Tennessee’s GOP-led Senate has moved forward with a bill to allow teachers to be armed on school grounds.
The bill, which passed on a 26-5 vote Tuesday, would allow some teachers in public schools to obtain concealed carry permits without having to tell parents or their colleagues that they are armed with handguns. Rep. Ryan Williams, a Republican and the bill’s sponsor, said that doing so could deter potential shooters and that armed teachers could act as substitutes for school resource officers, especially in rural areas with fewer resources.
Discussion of the legislation was interrupted Tuesday by hundreds of protesters advocating for stricter gun laws, some of whom were forcibly removed from the Senate chamber.
Discussion of the legislation was interrupted Tuesday by hundreds of protesters advocating for stricter gun laws, some of whom were forcibly removed from the Senate chamber. Among the protesters were family members of victims of last year’s shooting at The Covenant School in Nashville, in which the attacker killed three children and three adults.
The bill would require teachers seeking to be armed to obtain a handgun carry permit and written permission from their school’s principal and local police. The teachers would also have to undergo 40 hours of training and clear a background check.
Opponents say that more guns in schools do not keep students safe — central to the idea of arming teachers is the “good guy with a gun” myth, which has been repeatedly punctured — and that the required training would not be enough.
“We’re sending teachers to learn how to handle a combat situation that veteran law enforcement have trouble comprehending,” said state Sen. Jeff Yarbro, a Democrat. “We’re letting people do that with a week’s training.”
The Tennessee House’s companion legislation has not seen any movement since last session, but the Republican speaker, Cameron Sexton, recently voiced his approval.