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Haslam allows controversial guns on campus bill to become law

Gov. Bill Haslam said Monday he is allowing a controversial guns-on-campus bill to become law without his signature.

The bill allows full-time faculty, staff and other employees of Tennessee's public colleges and universities who have handgun-carry permits to carry their guns on campus -- but they must notify the local law enforcement agency with primary responsibility for security on their campus -- the campus police, for example.

The governor said in a letter to the House and Senate speaker that he prefers to let campuses make their own decision.

Also:

The bill does not allow students, including those with permits, to go armed on campus, as some states, such as Texas, have allowed. However, a separate bill approved earlier this year and signed by the governor prohibits state colleges and universities from taking "adverse action" against students and employees with permits for transporting or storing a gun or ammunition in their parked vehicles on campus.

More at the link.

The "immunity bill" reads as follows:

(a) A person, business, or other entity that owns, controls, or manages property and has the authority to prohibit weapons on that property by posting, pursuant to § 39-17-1359, shall be immune from civil liability with respect to any claim based on such person's, business's, or other entity's failure to adopt a policy that prohibits weapons on the property by posting pursuant to § 39-17-1359.

(b) Immunity under this subsection (a) does not apply to a person, business, or other entity whose conduct or failure to act is the result of gross negligence or willful or wanton misconduct.

http://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInf ... ber=SB1736

As noted above, this bill started out considerably stronger, but at least it is at least in the right direction. Some blogger who posted about it says it is the first of its type in the nation.

This post deserves a little more detail:

Tennessee passed two 2A related bills by veto-proof (if they can maintain voting discipline) majorities.

One, according to John Lott's site, allows fulltime employees of state colleges and universities to carry a handgun on college/university property if they have a valid Tennessee permit. There's some obvious gaps and questions there, but I haven't had time to track down the bill and see the particulars. But this is progress for Tennessee.

The other provides some kind of "immunity" for businesses if they DO NOT post an anti-carry sign. Again, I will have to find the bill to find out what "immunity" really constitutes. The bill started life the other way around -- it places liability on business that posted anti-carry signs. Here's another blurb on it: http://www.knoxgunguy.com/2016/04/actio ... rties.html