Tennessee governor signs bill allowing teachers and staff to be armed on campus
CNN
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation Friday allowing teachers and school staff in the state to be armed in school buildings and campuses, according to the General Assembly’s website.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed legislation Friday allowing teachers and school staff in the state to be armed in school buildings and campuses, according to the General Assembly’s website. State legislators approved the bill Tuesday, which authorizes a faculty or staff member of a school to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds, subject to certain conditions including having approval from the principal and others to possess a gun. “I think we need to be really clear about what the law does -– districts have the right to choose.” Lee, a Republican, told CNN affiliate WSMV during a news conference Thursday following the end of the General Assembly’s legislative session. “What’s important to me is that we give districts tools and the option to use a tool that will keep their children safe in their schools,” Lee said Thursday. CNN reached out to Lee’s office for further comment. The bill puts the nationwide debate over arming educators back in the spotlight as mass shootings continue not only in American schools but at parades, festivals, places of worship and more. Gun violence is the leading killer of children in the United States. So far, 443 children younger than 18 have been killed in gun violence this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
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