Tennessee Legislature passes bill which allow adults to carry handguns without a permit

The Tennessee General Assembly has approved Gov. Bill Lee’s legislation to allow most adults to carry handguns without obtaining a permit, a measure some Republicans sought for years to pass.

The bill moves to the governor’s desk amid a renewed debate on gun violence and firearm laws in the U.S after a mass shooting in Atlanta and Boulder, Colorado, claimed the lives of a combined 18 people.

The push for expanded gun access in Tennessee illustrates wider efforts seen in other Republican-led states such as Iowa and Indiana , where lawmakers have advanced bills that would strike down permit and license restriction.

Tennessee’s permitless carry bill, which supports have dubbed ”constitution carry,” passed the Tennessee House of Representatives 64-29 on Monday night.

Against the bill only five Republicans voted, the bill was approved in the state Senate on March 18 and can now be signed into law by the governor.