SENATE APPROVES BILL TO ALLOW 'OPEN-CARRY' OF GUNS WITHOUT PERMITS IN TENNESSEE

[link to m.knoxnews.com] — The state Senate approved a bill Tuesday that, if approved by the House, would allow any Tennessean who is not legally barred from possessing a gun to openly carry a handgun on their persons, without a permit, as long as it can seen by others.

Current Tennessee law requires a handgun-carry permit to carry a gun either openly or concealed. Prerequisites for a Tennessee permit include training on firearm safety by a certified instructor, a criminal background check and a $115 fee. Senate Bill 2424, which passed on a 25-2 vote with virtually no debate, would remove the permit requirement — and thus its training mandate — for the “open carry” of a handgun in Tennessee and leave a permit and training requirement only for “concealed carry.”

[link to m.knoxnews.com]