Bill Allowing Non-Lethal Weapon Carry On Public College Campuses Passes Tennessee Legislature In Response To Murder Of College Student By Illegal Alien
Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
The Tennessee General Assembly has passed a bill to remove the criminal offense for carrying a non-lethal self-defense weapon like pepper spray on a public college campus.
The legislation has been titled the “Laken Riley Act of 2024” to honor its namesake, a nursing student at the Augusta University College of Nursing in Athens, Georgia, who was reportedly found dead in February near Lake Herrick with “visible injuries” after going for a run at the university’s intramural fields.
It was later found that her murderer was an illegal alien, who had been previously cited for theft and shoplifting but was released.
House Bill 1909 (HB1909) / Senate Bill 1868 (SB1868) “specifies that it is not a criminal offense for an adult person to carry or posses pepper spray, a taser, or another similar device for purposes of self-defense” while on property owned, operated or in use by a public college or university board of trustees, regents, or the administration directors of that public college or university.
This includes non-lethal weapons like pepper gel, mace, and stun guns.
This legislation also prohibits public colleges, universities and other educational institutions from prohibiting staff members, employees, students and any other adults lawfully present on the premises from carrying these non-lethal weapons.
Public colleges and universities will still be allowed to prohibit the carrying of these devices in buildings where armed security is provided or “where such carrying is prohibited by contract” as well as on the grounds of any pre-K-12 school located on its campus.
HB1909, sponsored by Representative Gino Bulso (R-Brentwood-District 61), passed in the House of Representatives on March 3rd, 2024, by a 78-17 vote.
SB1868, sponsored by Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28 ), passed in the Senate on March 28th, 2024, by a vote of 26-2.
During the entire legislative process, only Democrats are recorded as voting NO on the bill.
This legislation will now be signed by the Speaker of the House and the Speaker of the Senate before being sent to Gov. Bill Lee (R-TN) for his signature.
The governor can choose to sign the bill, veto it, or allow it to become law without his signature.
HB1909/SB1868 will take effect on July 1st of this year.
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
It’s a start
I agree. We need to seriously consider the death penalty and send them to their God and let Him sort them out.
Also this is NOT a solution to open borders.
Seriously? NON-Lethal weapons carry?!! Does that hold for the illegal immigrants too? Was just wondering!! STOP being SOFT on criminals!!! They deserve everything they get.
It infuriates me that we don’t have the courage to address the real problem. So, if a student goes into a building that has security, they can’t carry in their non-lethal whatever you want to call it. They have to go back to their dorm or what? This just goes to show how feckless these people in our Congress are.
Have some backbone.
Yeah this is pretty crazy. If they would focus ALL of their efforts to pass real Constitution Carry (currently Tennessee does NOT have real Constitution Carry) that would be far more effective. We need teacher, staff, administrator, AND PARENT CARRY AT ALL SCHOOLS as well.
This is from the Tennessee Firearms Association for today:
April 9, 2024
Urgent calls of SUPPORT needed for HB2082 and SB2502
These bills have been AMENDED at this point to do two important things:
– eliminate the “intent to go armed” clause in TCA 39-17-1307(a) which would result in Tennessee become very, very close to REAL constitutional carry; and
– eliminating the 2021 “permitless carry” law in TCA 39-17-1307(g) because it would no longer be needed.
These are TWO major advances if the bill can get to the floor and pass in both houses.
It has already come out of Senate Judiciary and looks in good shape at the moment.
It is scheduled for the House Civil Justice Committee today, April 9, at 10:30 AM CST. It needs help because two legislators that we expect would vote yes on the bill are likely to be absent which could make the vote too close for comfort.
Please contact the members of the House Civil Justice Committee as soon as possible – calls and emails both since they may already be headed to committee!
Farmer Andrew R (615) 741-4419 rep.andrew.farmer@capitol.tn.gov
Jernigan Darren D (615) 741-6959 rep.darren.jernigan@capitol.tn.gov
Bricken Rush R (615) 741-7448 rep.rush.bricken@capitol.tn.gov
Bulso Gina R (615) 741-6808 rep.gino.bulso@capitol.tn.gov
Capley Kip R (615) 741-2190 rep.kip.capley@capitol.tn.gov
Eldridge Rick R (615) 741-6877 rep.rick.eldridge@capitol.tn.gov
Gant Ron M. R (615) 741-6890 rep.ron.gant@capitol.tn.gov
Garrett Johnny R (615) 741-3893 rep.johnny.garrett@capitol.tn.gov
Grills Rusty R (615) 741-0718 rep.rusty.grills@capitol.tn.gov
Harris Torrey C D (615) 741-2239 rep.torrey.harris@capitol.tn.gov
Lamberth William R (615) 741-1980 rep.william.lamberth@capitol.tn.gov
Littleton Mary R (615) 741-7477 rep.mary.littleton@capitol.tn.gov
Parkinson Antonio D (615) 741-4575 rep.antonio.parkinson@capitol.tn.gov
Powell Jason D (615) 741-6861 rep.jason.powell@capitol.tn.gov
Russell Lowell R (615) 741-3736 rep.lowell.russell@capitol.tn.gov
Stevens Robert R (615) 741-3830 rep.robert.stevens@capitol.tn.gov
Todd Chris R (615) 741-7475 rep.chris.todd@capitol.tn.gov
And also…
Sexton, Speaker Cameron R (615) 741-2343 rep.cameron.sexton@capitol.tn.gov
ALL gun laws are an infringement. I don’t care what the state of Tennessee, or New York, or California says, “shall not be infringed” is crystal clear to me. Any police officer who arrests, any DA who prosecutes, any judge who sentences; all of them are traitors to the Constitution that they SWORE to uphold.
Just think, if the illegal hadn’t been here in the first place this wouldn’t have happened. If your not going to allow us to use lethal force, and I understand the reasoning, can’t you at least ship these invaders back across the border and let Mexico deal with them. The Mexican Cartels are shipping them, ship them back. Start by removing all aid including medical, education and welfare. If you wonder why there are tax cheats, just look at what you’ve done to honest folk.
Might as well say a Criminal/ Illegal Alien can bring a Lethal weapon on to a campus while the intended is still rendered defenseless more or less with pepper or a stick????? And they wonder why Americans are sick of SPINELESS Politicians let these predator’s roam and open borders.