Campus carry in Tennessee
Gov. Bill Haslam and Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey are working against a bill to allow faculty and staff to carry guns on the campuses of Tennessee’s public universities.
But the two Republicans have arrived at that position for different reasons.
Haslam says he wants to leave it up to administrators at each school to decide whether to allow guns to be carried, while Ramsey says he doesn’t want the proposal to dominate media attention while several other important initiatives are pending before lawmakers.
Ramsey’s reason is dumb. Haslam, at least, seems have a decent reasoning except that I think current state law makes carrying on campus illegal.
April 25th, 2011 at 4:43 pm
Yeah,
Maybe I am wrong, but as I understand that it is illegal just to drive through campus on Cumberland Avenue if your firearm is not properly placed / stored (just like for picking up kids at school)?
Someone fix me on this.
April 25th, 2011 at 5:05 pm
Why create two levels of people (those who can carry on campus, and those who cannot)?
While this bill is a step in the right general direction, why not just remove state restrictions on campus carry – allowing all HCP holders to carry, provided the campus does not post?
April 25th, 2011 at 6:38 pm
If the campus is a State campus, then State law must conform to the State Constitution and particularly the Tennessee Declaration of Rights. Those with handgun carry permits have already been required to pay for training to exercise their Article I, Section 26 RIGHT to carry the means of self-defense. According to that, the State legislature only has delegated power “to regulate the wearing of arms,” or how one exercises their right to carry (holstered, open, concealed, etc.) and that “with a view to prevent crime.”
April 25th, 2011 at 7:39 pm
If students aren’t allowed to carry, could then that have an equal protection case brought before the courts.
April 25th, 2011 at 8:01 pm
Cumberland Avenue is a public street and is not part of campus. U.T. has no legal right to dictate to anyone about carrying a weapon on Cumberland Avenue unless you step on the small area of Cumberland Avenue that is actually U.T. property. Most of it is private property and the owners dictate who can enter their property with a firearm.
April 26th, 2011 at 1:34 pm
http://lastcar.blogspot.com/2011/04/its-all-true-except-when-it-isnt.html
What we heard isn’t quite ‘on target’.