NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Tennessee lawmakers may soon allow people to openly carry any type of gun in the state, including weapons like AR-15s. After a law went into effect in 2021, people in Tennessee could openly carry loaded handguns — guns that usually use ammo with far less propellant and with ballistics that differ compared to rifle ammo.
SB 2502 passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 2 after its sponsor, Sen. Joey Hensley (r - Hohenwald) said the state's current law infringes on Second Amendment rights. The bill's biggest impact would be to change language in state code from "handgun" to "firearm," making it permissible to wield large rifles in most public areas of Tennessee.
"By continuing to make the carrying of a firearm an offense, we are allowing the narrative that guns are evil to overshadow protected, Constitutional rights," he said. "Our current statute presumes a level of intent, and therefore a level of guilt."
The bill would also lower the age at which a person can get a concealed handgun permit from 21 years old to 18 years old.
Tennessee's gun laws are ranked among some of the least restrictive in the U.S. and has a gun violence death rate of 20.9 per 100,000 people, compared to a national average of 14.4 gun violence deaths per 100,000 people, according to Everytown for Gun Safety. It also said the state does not require background checks or prohibitions on handguns. It also does not regulate high-capacity magazines, or have a means for authorities to identify and remove illegal guns.
The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security also testified against the bill in the House Civil Justice Subcommittee, saying it was concerned it would make the state increasingly unsafe.
“When you start talking about long guns in places such as outside of banks or around school buildings, or around the Capitol or this building complex with long guns, it does make law enforcement very uncomfortable for the sheer fact that it’s going to cause people to be concerned," said a person with the department.
It passed the Senate Judiciary Committee on April 2 and is headed to the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee. The House Civil Justice Committee will discuss the bill on April 10.
Editor's Note: This story originally said Everytown for Gun Safety reported that the state does not require background checks or have prohibitions to buy assault-style weapons. It was updated to say the nonprofit reported the state does not require background checks or have prohibitions on handguns.
