NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Right now, on college campuses it’s illegal to bring a gun into a building
Senator Mike Bell of Riceville is drafting legislation to allow faculty and employees with permits to carry guns at public colleges and universities. “It’s important because it concerns the safety of our students,” said Bell.
Thursday, Bell brought up the legislation following a higher education meeting on Capitol Hill. “It’s something that I have been thinking about for quite a while especially in light of what happened in Oregon recently,” he said.
He is referring to the campus massacre at an Oregon Community College. At the hearing, officials with the University of Tennessee said they do everything they can to keep students safe so the law doesn’t need to change.
“I would disagree that a possible change in the law is not necessary it would allow people who are permit holders to defend themselves where the police cannot be right now and the police cannot be everywhere,” said Bell.
He also thinks the state should not mandate gun policies for private colleges and Universities. A second piece of legislation Bell plans to introduce would address that. Bell plans to file both bills in a couple weeks.
News 2 reached out to the Tennessee Board of Regents – the Supervisory Board for state universities, community colleges and vocational-technical schools.
Monica Greppin-Watts replied with the following:
“The Tennessee Board of Regents and all of its institutions are focused on an explicit priority – student success. Each of our campuses has a clear mandate to increase student retention and completion rates, and everything we do is viewed through the lens of its impact on student success. Providing our students, faculty and staff with a safe and healthy environment is a vital component to meeting those goals. For that reason, TBR has historically opposed – and will continue to oppose – any bill that would distract us from that focus, particularly one that could open the door to allowing guns on our campuses and making our college environments less safe.”
Source: news2
Tenn. Senator drafts legislation to allow guns on college campuses
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