HB 508

[click23]

I have read over HB 508 several times, and just want to see if everyone else has the same interpretation as I do.   An area of concern with me is Chilhowee Park in Knoxville, which is owned by the city, as the park is home to Zoo Knoxville where we take my daughter every few months.   The Tennessee Valley Fair is held there annually, and a few years back some people tried to get in under the law that allows HCP holder entry into parks with handguns and were turned away.  The city says that Chilhowee Park is not a park but is a "public assembly facility".  There was a law suit but it was settled with the city saying they can still ban carrying by HCP holders, more info at http://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/local/2017/01/27/city-strikes-deal-chilhowee-park-gun-ban/97148064/

Once HB 508 becomes law in less than a month, the way I interpret the law is that as long as there is not a metal detector at the gate HCP holders would be free to carry in Chilhowee Park, whether at the Zoo or the fair as the law applied to all (with several exemptions but none that I see Chilhowee Park would fall under) "property owned or administered" by an "entity of local government or a permittee"

The text of the bill can be found at http://publications.tnsosfiles.com/acts/110/pub/pc0467.pdf

 

As a side note on the law, if I read it correctly only a metal detector and a LE or security trained to use it have to be present, and that bags and such are inspected, it does not say that they actually have to use the metal detector.

 

 

[300winmag]

Yeah the bright lobbyist that wrote the bill that will become law July 1 made it more complicated than necessary and added more grayness to the gray weapons laws in this state. The lobbyist behind the bill could not simply remove the criminal penalty behind the no gun signs because that would be too difficult.  It is kind of like someone wanting to drive from Nashville to Knoxville by going down through Chattanooga.

Best practical guess would be if you see metal detectors actually being used would be to just go back to your car to store your gun or sell your tickets and go somewhere else instead of that venue.

Edited June 9, 2017 by 300winmag