Lawmakers in the Republican-led State of Tennessee have passed legislation allowing teachers, principals and school staff to carry concealed firearms. The law, which comes a year after a deadly shooting in Nashville when an assailant killed three children and three staff at an elementary school, was approved in the state Senate in April and passed the House of Representatives Tuesday. Governor Bill Lee, who had previously said he is “open” to allowing teachers to carry guns, has not made any attempts to block the bill, according to Insider Paper. It is now up to Lee to sign the concealed carry in schools legislation into law, or veto it.Faculty and administrative staff who wish to be armed at school must meet certain requirements, such as complete 40 hours of “basic training in school policing,” and 40 additional hours of Peace Officer’s Standards and Training Commission-approved “school policing” training each year at their own expense.They will also have to get an enhanced carry permit, obtain written authorization from the superintendent, principal and local police chief, complete a background check and undergo a psychological exam conducted by a healthcare provider licensed in Tennessee, according to CNN. Democrat detractors protested teachers aren't allowed to promote gender identity in the classroom, therefore they shouldn’t be allowed to carry a gun. “A teacher is not allowed to put a rainbow flag on her desk, but she’s allowed to carry a gun in this state,” Democrat state Sen. Raumesh Akbari said.Bill co-sponsor, Republican state Sen. Paul Bailey, warned “a lot of misinformation” would be spread about the new law and specified it is an option, not a requirement, for school staff to carry firearms. It “does not require any teacher in this state to carry a gun while working,” said Bailey. “This bill is completely permissive. It simply gives a faculty or staff member the option.”Firearms may not be carried openly “or in any other manner in which the handgun is visible to ordinary observation and may not be present in meetings about tenure or disciplinary matters. Nor can they be carried in “stadiums, gymnasiums or auditoriums when school-sponsored events are in progress,” reads the law.
