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.
Advertisement
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.
Advertisement