An election-year Tennessee legislative session tinged by national attention on a deadly school shooting in Florida saw many high-profile gun bills fail, including Republican efforts to ease gun laws and Democratic pushes to establish more restrictions.
Lawmakers approved a bipartisan bill that would let school districts pay off-duty law enforcement officers to serve as armed school officers during school hours or school-sponsored events. They also cleared a budget that Gov. Bill Haslam infused with another $30.2 million to improve school safety after the Florida shooting in February.
But few bills that vastly change gun rights made their way to Haslam’s desk.
The highest-profile gun bill that lawmakers rejected would have allowed school districts to decide whether to let teachers undergo training to carry guns in schools.
Gun Bills Fail in Legislature
May 6, 2018 | 5:00 AM