(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 website.
State lawmakers on Tuesday approved the bill, which authorizes a member of a school’s faculty or staff to carry a concealed firearm on school grounds, subject to certain conditions, including the approval of the principal and others. to own a gun.
“I think we need to be very clear about what the law does: Districts have the right to choose.” Lee, a Republican, told CNN affiliate WSMV during a press conference Thursday after 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 has reached out to Lee’s office for further comment.
The bill puts the national debate over arming educators back in the spotlight as mass shootings continue not only in American schools but also at parades, festivals, places of worship and more. Gun violence is the leading cause of death among children in the United States. So far, 443 children under the age of 18 have died in gun violence this year, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive.
Thirty-four states prohibit teachers and the general public from carrying guns in K-12 schools, according to data from Everytown for Gun Safety.
In Tennessee, school personnel who want to carry a concealed weapon must:
• Obtain an enhanced transportation permit
• Obtain written authorization from the superintendent, director and head of the corresponding police agency.
• Complete 40 hours of basic school police training and 40 hours of peace officer training and standards commission-approved training specific to school police each year at the educator’s expense.
• Complete a background check
• Submit to a psychological examination by a licensed health care provider in Tennessee.
However, the law does not allow people to openly carry weapons “or in any other manner in which the weapon is visible to ordinary observation,” and does not allow weapons to be carried in “stadiums, gymnasiums or auditoriums when sponsored by the school”. ongoing events,” or in meetings where tenure or disciplinary matters are being discussed.
Additionally, parents would not necessarily know or be notified if their child’s teacher was armed, a point of contention for many of the law’s opponents.
“A teacher is not allowed to put a rainbow flag on her desk, but she is allowed to carry a gun in this state,” said Democratic state senator Raumesh Akbari.
After the vote on the bill earlier this week, people were heard chanting “Blood on your hands” at members of the Legislature.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Tennessee Education Association said the governor should work on measures that allow teachers to focus on education and do not put students in “greater danger.”
The teachers’ organization cited a social worker who said she was an expert in education and not marksmanship.
Another educator applauded lawmakers for trying to improve safety, but said the law won’t do it.
“I just want my students to get home safely at the end of the day, but there has to be a better way to do that than relying on me to carry a gun,” said Chris Cogdill, a professor of government and politics at Said. Jefferson County High School.
