Controversial gun bill dies in legislative panel; protesters gather to demand stricter controls

A controversial bill that would allow handgun carry permit holders to take their weapons almost anywhere in Tennessee won't advance in this year's legislative session.

A subcommittee rejected the proposal Wednesday, a day when a half-dozen gun-related bills came before lawmakers, and scores of protesters gathered in the Cordell Hull Legislative Office building to demand stricter gun control.

The bill, sponsored by, Rep. Judd Matheny, R-Tullahoma, would have allowed a permit holder — unless the individual has been drinking alcohol — to carry a gun anywhere except judicial proceedings and, under certain conditions, on school grounds. It's is similar to previously introduced "carry-like-a-cop" legislation.

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The gun bill also carried a hefty $436.1 million fiscal note, which estimates the costs of a bill. The analysis cites lost federal funding if the bill were to pass. 

Rep. Bill Beck, D-Nashville, and other committee members asked Matheny whether he was willing to risk such a costly economic impact for one bill.

"Absolutely," Matheny said. "It is a civil right."

Shortly afterward, the committee voted unanimously to kill the bill.

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Still, the legislative panel moved along a number of measures aimed at making it easier for some groups to obtain and keep gun permits. 

These bills included: 

• A measure that would allow 18-year-old military service members to obtain a carry permit. The measure would also clarify language restricting individuals who have attempted violent crimes. Typically, residents must be 21 to obtain a permit.
• A bill that would permit businesses to allow concealed weapons but not open carry.
• A measure that would ensure retired law enforcement personnel can purchase a lifetime carry permit.
• A bill that reduces the cost of the lifetime carry permits for military service members.

Additional gun bills on the subcommittee's agenda will be take up later. Those include:

• A bill that would permit people to carry handguns in public access areas of airports and outside secure areas. The bill would create misdemeanor offenses for permitted carry violations at airports. The measure would also permit certain people to carry guns on public transportation.
• A bill that would allow a person to challenge a government entity that refuses to make property available for Second Amendment activities.

Protesters, reaction

Meanwhile, Beck and nearly 100 volunteers for Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, a nonprofit organization that says it advocates for "common sense gun reforms," gathered in the state building.

While the mothers donning red came to hear the results of several bills, it was Matheny's proposal that drew mother Jeannie Hunter, a local minister, to speak before the committee. 

"It was great to see that bill shut down," Hunter said. "I think most of those were just little nitpicky kinds of things, and mostly had to do with law enforcement and retired law enforcement, so I think we weren't particularly worried about most of those of them. But as the bill was originally (written), it was going to allow guns in schools and that's something none of us want to see."

As Hunter spoke before the committee, she referenced an alert that she'd just recently received that during the committee meeting another school shooting had taken place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"This is the kind of thing we have to stop," she said after the meeting.

James Garrett, a resident who helped Matheny author the measure, said he was disappointed the bill did not pass.

"Permit holders are one of the safest segments of society," he said.

Reach Reporter Jordan Buie at 615-726-5970 or by email at jbuie@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @jordanbuie.