The Tennessee Senate has passed a bill that would require cities and counties to either implement more security measures at public facilities or allow handgun permit holders to carry their firearms.
The Associated Press reported the measure, House Bill 508, passed Tuesday on a 26-5 vote in the Senate, while a slightly different version of the bill passed in the House last week.
The bill would require cities and counties to either install metal detectors and post security guards at public facilities or allow lawful gun owners with handgun permits to carry their firearms.
The measure would also provide lawful gun owners with a private cause of action to challenge local firearms rules they feel are not being implemented properly.
Gun control advocates decried the bill, and some city officials from Nashville and Knoxville expressed concerns about surging costs due to the lawsuits that might be filed if the bill were enacted.
The National Rifle Association praised the measure, with the organization’s Institute for Legislative Action noting the bill’s passage was a victory for gun owners who feel “unduly burdened by local ordinances which violate the current state firearm preemption law.”
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