<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">Courtesy of <i>The Tennesseean</i> (Nashville, TN) at:</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/31/house-bill-bans-fake-guns-not-real-guns-near-schools/70721508/">http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/31/house-bill-bans-fake-guns-not-real-guns-near-schools/70721508/</a></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">--------------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 34px; font-size: 32px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; line-height: 34px; font-size: 32px; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><b>House bill bans fake guns — not real guns — near schools</b></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Tennessee House of Representatives passed a bill <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://1" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="1">Monday night</a> that makes it illegal to take a squirt gun </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">— but not a real gun</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">—</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">within 150 feet of a school.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The new ban was included in a larger bill that would nix any local laws prohibiting people with gun permits from taking guns to parks.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The federal "Guns Free School Zones" act makes it illegal for anyone who doesn't have a permit from taking a gun within 1,000 feet of a school. If that person has a permit from the state in which the school is located, though, they can take the gun near school property, the law states.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The change to the House bill came in the form of an amendment from Rep. Charles Sargent, R-Franklin. It was the only amendment approved by the House, which voted to have debate on the bill itself before <a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/30/house-passes-guns-parks-bill/70700960/" title="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2015/03/30/house-passes-guns-parks-bill/70700960/" style="text-decoration: none;">approving the measure</a> by a 65-21 margin.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The amendment says the state doesn't need to pay to remove signs that say guns are banned in parks. However, it also includes a list of new items that are banned within 150 feet of a school.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"A person commits an offense who intentionally carries an explosive, explosive weapon, permanently disabled firearm, hoax device, imitation firearm, machete, or sword openly within one hundred fifty feet (150') of the real property that comprises the grounds or facilities of a public or private preschool, elementary school, middle school, or secondary school,"</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/109/Amend/HA0157.pdf" title="http://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/109/Amend/HA0157.pdf" style="text-decoration: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">the amendment states in part</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">At no point does the amendment mention any ban on real guns near schools; real guns don't fall under the definition of "explosive weapon," confirmed House Republican spokesman Cade Cothren.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"The provision pertains only to those who intentionally carry an explosive, explosive weapon, permanently disabled firearm, hoax device, imitation firearm, machete, or sword," Cothren said.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Cothren noted the federal "Gun Free School Zones" act as to why real guns were not included in the amendment.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">There's no need to include real guns in the amendment because it is already covered. The amendment added additional weapons to the list that aren't covered under other areas of state and federal law," he said.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Harrison, R-Rogersville, noted that he thought the amendment was included to address a particular situation in Nashville.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Leonard Embody, nicknamed the "</span><a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/18/man-rifle-causes-stir-vanderbilt-hillsboro-high/15838221/" title="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/09/18/man-rifle-causes-stir-vanderbilt-hillsboro-high/15838221/" style="text-decoration: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Radnor Lake Rambo</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">," has frequently scared schools and caused police to be called by walking around near schools with a bulletproof vest and a weapon. He's argued it's his right to make such a demonstration.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"That would I think keep situations like that from happening," Harrison said.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">However,</span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><a href="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/25/firearms-agitator-still-waiting-fight-gun-charge/13159033/" title="http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/crime/2014/07/25/firearms-agitator-still-waiting-fight-gun-charge/13159033/" style="text-decoration: none; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Tennessean has reported that</a><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Embody has carried an AR-15, a large rifle, when he's around schools. If the gun is operational and he has a permit for the weapon, the new state amendment wouldn't apply.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If he carried a fake gun, he would be breaking the new law.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The portion of law this bill changes also makes no reference to a ban on real guns within 150 feet of a school. The law does ban guns on property owned or used by a school, with several exceptions, including one for parents who keep a gun in their cars when they go to pick up their children.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The bill faced some debate in committee, but House Democrats wanted to debate the bill on the House floor. They proposed amendments to the bill, but at no point were the amendments seriously debated. House Majority Whip Jeremy Durham, R-Franklin, called for the final vote immediately after a GOP supporter of the bill gave a quick speech about the measure, leaving no room for debate.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"The idea that we didn't debate the bill isn't accurate," Durham said. There were 11 Democratic amendments.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"We waited until they had finished to call the question," Durham said Tuesday.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"I'm not sure we've debated any other bill this year as long as we took for that bill. The only thing left to do at that point was grandstand."</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">House Speaker Beth Harwell, R-Nashville, voted "present." She said she doesn't expect Gov. Bill Haslam, who opposes the bill, to veto the legislation because the House would likely override that decision.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The Senate is set to vote on its version of the law Wednesday. If adopted and Haslam doesn't veto, the law is set to take effect "upon becoming a law." Harwell acknowledged the original bill set April 6 as the effective date, an unusual time for a bill to take affect, because the National Rifle Association has its annual conference <a href="x-apple-data-detectors://7" x-apple-data-detectors="true" x-apple-data-detectors-type="calendar-event" x-apple-data-detectors-result="7">April 10-12</a> in Nashville.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The bill could still become law ahead of the NRA event.</span></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br></div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;">--------------------------------------</div><div style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto;"><br><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)</span></div><div><a href="http://www.moscowcares.com/" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><font color="#000000">http://www.MoscowCares.com</font></a></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span></div><div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Tom Hansen</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">Moscow, Idaho</span></div></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">"There's room at the top they are telling you still.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">But first you must learn how to smile as you kill,</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">If you want to be like the folks on the hill."</span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"><br></span></div><div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">- John Lennon</span></div></div></body></html>