Tennessee Bill Aimed At Circumventing Constitutional Carry In Large Cities Fails In Senate

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE — Tennessee’s Senate Judiciary Committee rejected a bill on Monday that aimed to mandate handgun carry permits in the state’s most populous cities and counties.

The legislation, HB0237/SB0010, would have required gun owners in cities with over 500,000 residents and counties with over 900,000 to obtain a permit, according to WZTV. Tennessee is currently a constitutional carry state.

This development emerges amid ongoing debates over gun laws in the Tennessee General Assembly, and appears to be a pretty naked attempt to circumvent permitless carry in Tennessee, which was passed in 2021, according to WTVF.

Constitutional carry, which allows citizens to carry firearms without a permit, has been a contentious topic in the state and the country at large, with proponents arguing for Second Amendment rights and opponents voicing concerns about public safety.