Tennessee governor Bill Lee signed HB 1202, also listed as SB1325, on April 26. The bill will allow teachers, principals, and any school staff to carry handguns in school territory under certain conditions.
Staff will be required to have one year of training, a permit allowing them to legally carry a handgun, and both mental health and criminal background checks.
The Bill
“Teachers, Principals and School Personnel – As introduced, authorizes a faculty or staff member of a school to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds subject to certain conditions, including obtaining an enhanced handgun carry permit and completing annual training,” the Tennessee General Assembly said.
The bill was introduced last January 31, 2023, and after failing to adapt to certain amendments during April it finally passed on the Senate and was signed by the governor.
According to The Tennessean, Democrats of the House and a total of seven Republicans voted against the bill, but it eventually passed with a 68-28 vote. Governor Lee never voted for the Bill.
Citizens Opinions
Some Tennessee teachers are concerned about the law, especially after the school shooting in 2023 at The Covenant Elementary School in Green Hills, Tennessee. The shooting resulted in the death of three nine-year-olds and three adults.
While the bill was being processed in the Senate, many teachers were protesting outside The House. Some of the signs have quotes like
-“Arm teachers with fully funded schools, not guns.”
-“Teachers need supplies, not guns.”
-“Their blood, your hands.”
They also protested by acting as a “die-in” outside of the building.
On the other hand, other citizens are in favor of the bill.
Nikki Goesser, author of “Stalked and Defenseless,” believes that the bill undoubtedly can save lives. Her husband, Ben Goesser, died after protecting her from armed men; he was shot seven times in a Karaoke restaurant in Tennessee.
“My dreams of becoming a mother and building a family together died too,” Goesser said.
SB1325 Expectations
The bill expects to reduce violence in schools.
By 2020, the average of gun homicide in Tennessee was 426 per year while the average for suicide with a firearm was 672; this means Tennessee has the 8th highest rate of gun homicide and 17th in suicide by firearm in the nation. Tennessee has also ranked 8th for the number of school shootings since 1970.
Policymakers and the public alike will be closely watching to see how SB1325 affects the rate of school shootings and violence within the state.
