Local Parks HB0960

[Guest 270win]

It appears that the local parks bill has been amended into a far worse bill than what it originally started out as. The amendment DEFINITELY makes carrying a firearm in a local park, civic center, rec building a Class A Misdemeanor, UNLESS the city/county has a majority vote allowing those with handgun carry permits to carry JUST in parks. I absolutely hate this bill because it can get a lot of folks in trouble, when previously many of us thought that we could legally carry a handgun in a park, civic center, playground, etc as long as we aren't carrying a prohibited weapon (switch blades, machine guns). Not many towns or counties are going to legalize carry in parks....while at the same time it will be tougher to get such a charge dropped due to the grayness of the present law.

I hope the Senate does not pass the version the house amended. It is basically putting us two steps back, not forward. Please contact your legislators and we need either a very clean bill, or nothing. This amended bill can make it easy for many of us to get prosecuted for trying to protect ourselves.

[Garufa]

This bill has been butchered past usefullness. Giving local municipalities and county's the say-so is a disaster here. You know parks in Memphis and most likely Nashville will be banned. I'm guessing Chattanooga too. Can't tell you what Knoxville/Knox County will do because as a whole they are completely retarted.

So what happens if a city bans and the county does not. In place like Knox co. which is blessed with a lot of parks, city and county, you could get into some trouble as most people have no clue as to whether they are in the city or county.

Who determines whether or not National Park carry is ok if that ever comes back? Take for example the Smokies. What if Blount ok's and Sevier does not? A complete mess.

[Guest SUNTZU]

Just join the local government in Knoxville, then you can do what you want and get away with it. I expect them to show up in black Cadillacs and Italian suits half the time.

[Guest Seminole]

Yep. This is a bad idea. It is a step back from state-wide preemption.

[Fallguy]

Yeah...I'm afraid HB0960 is screwed up beyond repair. The trouble is, it is one of the 4 bills to come out of the summer studdy committee. It seems that on those 4 issues, the house only wants to consider those bills and not any others that deal with the same issues.

I admit, I am one of the few that thought allowing locals a choice would be better than the whole bill being killed. But that is also when state parks were still attached to it instead of now letting them go on their own bill.

However, my idea was to make it legal to carry in local parks by default. But allow the local goverments to opt out if they chose and to also have to post if the opted out.

But now I think it would be better to either fully allow carry in local parks or not at all.

Also as razorback noted...this bill would only allow carry in parks and clarifies that carry in civic centers or any other publicly owned recreational property is off limits.

As far as National Park carry, I guess it is up to the judge that issued the injunction...at least right now.