Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Long‑gun carry bill tied in Judiciary committee after heated safety testimony
Summary
A proposal to replace the word “handguns” with “firearms” in state law and to align carry rules with recent Supreme Court precedent produced lengthy testimony from law enforcement and public‑safety officials and failed to reach a majority in committee.
The Tennessee Senate Judiciary Committee debated a bill, introduced by Senator Bill Lowe, that would replace references to "handguns" with the broader term "firearms" in state law and thereby affect how public‑carry rules apply to long guns outside the home. The measure sparked broad opposition from state law‑enforcement officials and split the committee.
Sponsor Sen. Lowe framed the legislation as a constitutional and doctrinal update following U.S. Supreme Court decisions about the Second Amendment. "This isn't a grand bill to revoke class 3 licenses or tax stamps," Lowe said, and he argued the change would align Tennessee law with recent precedent and…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
