What was once a sanctuary for children to learn and grow in their most formative years has recently become a dark and scary place where parents now have to constantly question the safety of their students.
“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.” (Tennessee General Assembly Legislation)
After being introduced by Senator Paul Bailey of District 15 (Cumberland, Jackson, Putnam, Smith, Van Buren and White Counties) in January of 2023, the bill has finally been passed by Tennessee Legislature after more than a year in limbo. In the wake of the Nashville school shooting on March 23, 2023, the bill has been questioned and passed in a 68-28 vote. The bill will now be passed on to Governor Bill Lee for him to decide whether or not to place the bill into action.
In order to keep students safe, however, teachers who wish to carry must complete this detailed list of requirements:
- Obtain an enhanced handgun carry permit
- Have a joint written authorization signed by both the principal of the school in conjunction with the head of the director of schools (the Superintendent)
- Be a law enforcement officer, or have prior experience as a law enforcement officer, and must successfully complete the 40 hours of training in school policing
Hamilton County Schools Superintendent, Justin Robertson announced that, “Given the ability of our community to provide armed personnel in every building, I will not recommend arming any other person in a Hamilton County School.” Seeing as the teacher would have to get a signed permission from Robertson, there does not seem to be any additional armed personnel in Hamilton County Schools in the future.
After being passed, it will now move on to Governor Bill Lee where he can chose to veto the new bill, or sign it into office. Despite receiving a lot of pushback, Lee has not yet released a statement defending his position on the potentially volatile bill. Lee has ten days to make a decision moving forward; after the time limit, it will proceed to become a law without his signature.
Regardless of the outcome, Hamilton County Schools should not be effected, because Robertson has concluded that the will not give his permission to any Hamilton County Schools staff. “As part of our focus on the safety of our schools, HCS will remain committed to its process of continuous improvement to ensure all children have the opportunity to thrive and experience a future without limits.”
