Republican lawmakers continue to address gun violence in schools through legislation that doesn’t reduce widespread access to guns.
House Bill 2882/Senate Bill 2923, sponsored by Rep. Chris Todd (R-Madison County) and Sen. Paul Bailey (R-Sparta), would require public schools to provide training around firearm safety. The bill builds on the Schools Against Violence in Education Act, which already requires schools to have emergency plans, train teachers to identify potential threats and provide other support to students. During Wednesday's House Education Instruction Subcommittee, Todd said the bill would require schools to implement age-appropriate firearm safety curriculum to be added alongside other related safety training, such as training involving fires or tornadoes.
“I can't think of the last time I heard of a fire in a school, but we often hear stories of where a child's bringing a gun in their backpack or something,” said Todd while explaining his bill.
The Tennessee Department of Education, the Tennessee Fish and Wildlife Commission and the Tennessee Department of Safety would determine the age at which students would start learning about firearm safety. Responding to a question from Rep. Gloria Johnson (D-Knoxville), Todd said parents wouldn’t be allowed to opt in or out of the training. Johnson criticized bill language that requires instructors to maintain a neutral position on “political topics, such as gun rights, gun violence, and the Second Amendment.”
“I can't support anything that says we're gonna be neutral on gun violence,” said Johnson. “Kids are gonna ask questions. And the idea — is there [a] good and bad side to gun violence? I just don't understand being neutral on gun violence, because to me, that's nothing but negative.”
Todd’s bill passed the subcommittee and is scheduled to be heard again on Feb. 20. A date for it to be heard by the Senate Education Committee has not yet been scheduled.
A bill from House Majority Leader William Lamberth (R-Portland) would require schools to develop policies related to how they address alarms in the event of active shooters or other emergencies. The bill was first introduced during August’s special session, which was ostensibly called to address gun violence after the Covenant Schools shooting. But like many bills introduced during the special session, it wasn’t passed by the Senate. The emergency alarm bill has already passed in the House and is currently making its way through the Senate.
A more controversial bill that has also been resurrected from the special session would allow staff to carry guns in private schools that have pre-K programs. State law already allows staff at K-12 private schools to do this, but this bill would expand that legislation to include private schools with pre-K programs. Some Covenant School parents have opposed it. When the bill was introduced in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee in January, Covenant School parent Sarah Shoop Neumann spoke against it. While Neumann said she supports the idea of private schools having a carry policy, she believes those who carry guns on school campuses should have specific training beyond a Tennessee carry permit.
“Anyone who hasn't had extensive training, such as that provided to law enforcement officers, will likely be mentally unprepared to take a life, especially that of a student assailant,” said Neumann.
