Tennessee lawmakers took major steps toward opening all parks in the state to guns, but a Senate panel put off more ambitious legislation sought by gun lobbyists.

The Senate Judiciary Committee joined their counterparts in the House Tuesday in sending a guns-in-parks bill to a full vote. The measure, Senate Bill 1171, would end local bans in Nashville, Memphis and many other cities, unraveling a compromise struck six years ago between law enforcement and gun rights supporters.

Lawmakers argued that banning guns in parks deprives Tennesseans of their constitutional rights and makes little practical sense, since criminals are unlikely to leave their weapons behind.

But Knoxville Police Chief David Rausch, speaking on behalf of law enforcement, said the bans probably do deter criminals.

“There are a certain number of people — both criminal and non-criminal — when they see signage, they understand what that signage tells you. And that is there will be consequences if you’re caught breaking the law,” he said. “Most criminals, it’s the path of least resistance.”

The bill could pass the House and Senate as soon as next week and go into effect in time for the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Nashville next month.

  The Senate Judiciary Committee also approved Senate Bill 149, which would allow guns at sporting and other school events held off campus.

The measure’s sponsor, Sen. Mark Green (R-Clarksville), argued current law doesn’t protect handgun permit holders if they carry their weapon into a restaurant, through a park or even on a city street while a school event is taking place.

But Sen. Lee Harris (D-Memphis) said allowing guns into off-campus venues could force school districts to reschedule or cancel events. Noting that passions often run high at sporting events, he questioned the wisdom of letting spectators bring guns.

“What’s your expectation about how these lawful holders are going to respond to dangerous events that are directly in front of them at these football games and so forth?” he asked. “This is a small change in terms of words but it’s monumental in terms of the complications and headaches it’ll create for the school districts across the state.”

“You ask a very philosophical question about whether or not a permitted, legal person carrying a weapon could prevent a melee,” Green replied. “I would ask you, do you get the American Rifleman or any of the other NRA publications, because every month in that publication, there are five or six references where a legal gun owner stops a crime?”

The Senate Judiciary Committee also approved Senate Bill 181, which says Tennesseans can own machine guns, short-barreled rifles and shotguns and silencers, if they have a permit from the federal government. And members passed Senate Bill 70, which says college professors and students can’t be punished for keeping guns locked up in their cars.

Both bills were described as clarifying Tennessee’s laws surrounding practices that were thought to be legal.

But other, more extensive gun proposals were delayed amid opposition from safety officials and Gov. Bill Haslam.

A measure, known as the Open Carry Firearms Freedom Act or Senate Bill 784, was put off until later in the session. That measure would let Tennesseans carry openly without a permit.

Also delayed was Senate Bill 628, which would give people with handgun permits the same powers to carry as off-duty police.

The Senate won’t take up those measures again until the end of this month or later. But they might come up sooner in the House.

Both are listed on the agenda for the House Civil Justice Subcommittee, which meets late Wednesday afternoon.

Representatives for police said they were pleased to have at least little more time to make their cases.