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Good!

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Thank you for keeping tabs on this and letting us know!

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The Covenant parents lobby group is whining to the news media about how much work they have put in on this and the result is the opposite of what they wanted.

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Seeing a few claims, today.

1. The anti-gun protestors and Covenant activists were "silenced".  If you look at the video, the Lt Governor was asking them to clarify the threat they had just made against him ("you're next" was apparently part of it) from the gallery, before he ordered the gallery to be cleared.  In one report, the Covenant activists were complaining that they were kicked out, because they - as people who had first hand experience with gun violence - wanted their voices heard.  In another report, it was stated that the Covenant activists had been given the option of remaining in the gallery, but they instead chose to leave with the protestors.  (ETA: There's even a video clip showing that they were the last to leave the gallery, and they were holding up signs as they left.)

2. The state legislature is forcing teachers to carry guns against their will.  This is blatantly false, as the bill only offers the option to teachers, then lists what the teacher has to do (carry permit, 40 hours of additional annual training, get permission from local officials) in order to carry a gun.

3. The majority of Tennesseans do not want this.  They are offering nothing to back up this claim.  The number of people they managed to get to show up for this protest was smaller than their typical groups protesting at the legislature, and it appears that the Covenant group could only get two of their people to show up.  Seems to be nothing more than adult sized toddlers throwing a tantrum.  (ETA: The Covenant activists even stated that they had trouble getting legislators to side with them because it is an election year.)

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On the topic of "what the heck has that got to do with it?", some people are trying to make a fuss over the issue of where the teachers can store their guns.  By some thought process that I can't make heads or tails of, carrying a concealed handgun in a school somehow requires the ability to store the gun at the school.

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Nashville police need another three months to finish investigating those people.  

SUMMARY OF BILL AS AMENDED (018335): Deletes the offense of carrying,
with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club. Removes the maximum fine for the offense of
possessing a deadly weapon with the intent to employ it during the commission of, attempt to
commit, or escape from, another criminal offense, when the deadly weapon is a switchblade
knife. Revises the offense for a juvenile to knowingly possess a handgun so that it now applies
to possession of a firearm. Revises the many defenses to prosecution for a juvenile to possess a
handgun so that they apply to the new offense of a juvenile possessing a firearm. Revises the
offense for a person to intentionally, knowingly or recklessly provide a handgun to any person
that the individual providing the handgun knows or has reason to believe is a juvenile so that the
offense no longer applies to providing a handgun, but rather applies to providing a firearm.
Revises the offense for a parent or guardian to intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly provide a
handgun to a juvenile, or permit a juvenile to possess a handgun, if the parent or guardian
knows of a substantial risk that the juvenile will use the handgun to commit a felony so that the
offense no longer applies to a handgun, but rather applies to providing or permitting possession
of a firearm. Revises the offense for a person to possess a handgun while under the influence of
alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled substance analogue so that it applies to a
person possessing a firearm in such circumstances, rather than a handgun. Lowers the age
requirement to obtain an enhanced, lifetime enhanced, or concealed handgun carry permit from
21 years of age to 18 years of age.
FISCAL IMPACT OF BILL AS AMENDED:
Decrease Local Expenditures – Net Impact –
$454,600/FY24-25 and Subsequent Years
Other Fiscal Impact – Individuals 18 to 20 years of age have been issued
handgun carry permits since June 2023 due to a lawsuit settlement agreed to by
the Attorney General; therefore, lowering the age for an individual to receive a
permit will have no fiscal impact.
Assumptions for the bill as amended:
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1307(a), a person commits an offense who carries,
with the intent to go armed, a firearm or a club.
o The first violation is a Class C misdemeanor, and, in addition to possible
imprisonment as provided by law, may be punished by a fine not to exceed $500;
o A second or subsequent violation is a Class B misdemeanor; and
o A violation is a Class A misdemeanor if the person's carrying of a handgun
occurred at a place open to the public where one or more persons were present.
• Based on information provided by the Administrative Office of the Courts and the
Department of Correction Jail Summary Reports, the average number of convictions
each year over the last five years for carrying a firearm or club with the intent to go
armed were as follows:
o 539 Class A misdemeanor convictions;
o 16 Class B misdemeanor convictions; and
o 101 Class C misdemeanor convictions.
• It is assumed that, on average, a person convicted of a Class C misdemeanor will spend
zero days in a local jail, a Class B misdemeanor will spend a total of one day in a local
jail, and a person convicted of a Class A misdemeanor will spend a total of 15 days in a
local jail.
• Based on cost estimates provided by local government entities throughout the state and
reported bed capacity within such facilities, the weighted average cost per day to house
an inmate in a local jail facility is $59.07.
• The recurring decrease in expenditures to local governments associated with Class A
misdemeanors is estimated to be $477,581 (539 convictions x $59.07 x 15) in FY24- 25
and subsequent years.
• The recurring decrease in expenditures to local governments associated with Class B
misdemeanors is estimated to be $945 (16 convictions x $59.07 x 1) in FY24-25 and
subsequent years.
• The recurring decrease in expenditures to local governments associated with Class C
misdemeanors is estimated to be not significant.
• The total decrease in expenditures to local governments related to deleting the offense of
carrying a firearm or club with the intent to go armed is estimated to be $478,526
($477,581 Class A + $945 Class B) in FY24-25 and subsequent years.
• Based on the Fiscal Review Committee’s 2008 study and the Administrative Office of
the Courts’ 2012 study on collection of court costs, fees, and fines, collection in criminal
cases is insignificant; therefore, any decrease in local revenue from fines is estimated to
be not significant. Likewise, any fiscal impact related to removing the maximum fine
for the offense of possessing a deadly weapon with the intent to employ it during the
commission of, attempt to commit, or escape from, another criminal offense, when the
deadly weapon is a switchblade knife is estimated to be not significant.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1319(b), it is an offense for a juvenile to
knowingly possess a handgun. A violation is a delinquent act.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1319(c), in addition to any other disposition
authorized by law, the juvenile may be required to perform not more than 100 hours of
community service work to be specified by the judge and the juvenile's driving
privileges shall be suspended for a period of one year. A second or subsequent violation
is a delinquent act and, in addition to any other disposition authorized by law, the
juvenile may be required to perform not less than 100 nor more than 200 hours of
community service work to be specified by the judge and the juvenile's driving
privileges shall be suspended for a period of two years.
• The remainder of the section provides several defenses to prosecution for this offense.
• The proposed legislation revises the offense so that it is no longer an offense for a
juvenile to possess a handgun, but rather it is an offense for a juvenile to possess a
firearm. It also revises the various defenses to prosecution so that they apply to the new
version of the offense, but substantively the defenses to prosecution remain the same.
The penalties for a violation also remain the same.
• The Department of Children’s Services (DCS) has only one record pertaining to a
delinquent act by a juvenile that involved a firearm. It is unclear if it was a direct
citation for this particular offense or incidental to the commission of some other
delinquent act.
• It is assumed that the revision of the offense to apply to juveniles possessing a firearm
will not result in a significant increase in the number of juveniles adjudicated delinquent
under this section of code. It is assumed that the discovery of possession of a handgun
under the current offense and the discovery of the possession of a firearm under the new
offense would likely occur under similar circumstances – most likely in the commission
of some other delinquent act. Any fiscal impact to the DCS or other entities that may be
involved in the custody of delinquent juveniles or supervising community service is
estimated to be not significant. Any fiscal impact to the Department of Safety (DOS)
related to driver license revocations is estimated to be not significant.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1320:
a) it is an offense for a person intentionally, knowingly or recklessly to provide
a handgun with or without remuneration to any person that the person
providing the handgun knows or has reason to believe is a juvenile;
b) it is an offense for a parent or guardian intentionally, knowingly or recklessly
to provide a handgun to a juvenile or permit a juvenile to possess a handgun,
if the parent or guardian knows of a substantial risk that the juvenile will use
a handgun to commit a felony;
c) unlawfully providing or permitting a juvenile to possess a handgun in
violation of subsection (a) is a Class A misdemeanor and in violation of
subsection (b) is a Class D felony.
• The proposed legislation replaces ‘handgun’ in these offenses with ‘firearm’.
• Based on conviction data provided by the AOC, in the last five years there has been an
average of zero convictions for either offense.
• Revising these offenses so that they apply to firearms is not expected to result in an
increase in convictions. Any fiscal impact related to these changes is estimated to be not
significant.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1321(a), it is an offense for a person to possess a
handgun while under the influence of alcohol or any controlled substance or controlled
substance analogue.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1321(b)(2), it is a Class A misdemeanor offense
for a person to possess a firearm when consuming any alcoholic beverage in a public
establishment where alcohol is served.
• A violation of either is a Class A misdemeanor.
• The proposed legislation revises this statute to make it an offense to posses any firearm,
rather than only a handgun, while under the influence. This is assumed to increase the
number of annual Class A misdemeanor convictions under this statute.
• Based on information provided by the AOC and the Department of Correction Jail
Summary Reports, there has been an average of 271 Class A misdemeanor convictions
for the two offenses in each of the last five years.
• The precise number of additional convictions that will occur as a result of the legislation
is not known and is dependent on multiple variables.
• However, it is reasonably assumed to increase Class A misdemeanor convictions for this
offense by 10 percent, or 27 convictions each year (271 annual convictions x 10%).
• A person convicted of a Class A misdemeanor is assumed to spend an average of 15
days incarcerated in a local jail.
• Based on cost estimates provided by local government entities throughout the state and
reported bed capacity within such facilities, the weighted average cost per day to house
an inmate in a local jail facility is $59.07.
• Therefore, there will be a recurring mandatory increase in local expenditures related to
incarceration estimated to be $23,923 (27 convictions x 15 days x $59.07) in FY24-25
and subsequent years.
• The net decrease in local expenditures is therefore estimated to be $454,603 ($478,526
decrease - $23,923 increase) in FY24-25 and subsequent years.
• Because the legislation deletes the offense of carrying a firearm with the intent to go
armed and other related provisions, an adult aged 18 years or older will be permitted to
carry a firearm wherever the individual is lawfully present, as long as the individual
lawfully possesses the firearm.
• Such individuals will not need a handgun carry permit to do so.
• The legislation lowers the age to obtain enhanced and lifetime enhanced handgun carry
permits from 21 years of age to 18 years of age.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1366(b)(3), in order to qualify for a concealed
handgun carry permit, among other requirements, an applicant must meet the
qualifications for issuance of an enhanced handgun carry permit. Thus, in addition to
lowering the age to obtain an enhanced or lifetime enhanced permit, the proposed
legislation would have the effect of also lowering the lawful age to obtain a concealed
carry permit to 18.
• Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 39-17-1307(g)(1)(A), persons aged 21 years and older
are currently authorized to carry a handgun without a permit if they lawfully possess the
handgun and are in a place where they are lawfully present. Therefore, deleting the
offense of carrying with the intent to go armed is also not estimated to significantly
impact handgun permit issuance.
• In March 2023, the Attorney General’s office agreed to settle a lawsuit which led to no
longer prosecuting those ages 18 to 20 for carrying a handgun without a permit.
• As a result of the lawsuit, the DOS, in coordination with the Attorney General, started
issuing permits to individuals aged 18 to 20 in June 2023.
• The proposed changes to the law were enacted last year pursuant to the Attorney
General’s agreed upon lawsuit settlement; therefore, any fiscal impact is considered not
significant.

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Just a data point here.

I was in TX at the shooter's symposium.  A guy I knew as a bass fisherman and bow hunter is now a "guardian" at his school.

He took two pistol classes and an all day first aid class.

He is the maintenance guy at a school system, not a teacher.

He is exactly the guy you want with a gun in a school.  

Texas is years ahead of us in this area.

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Does anyone know what the actual cost is for a teacher to complete the training and associated cost?