After Quick Debate, “Guns-in-Trunks” Heads Toward House Floor

Two bills to enable gun-permit holders to leave firearms in their vehicles were voted out of a state House Committee today after only ten minutes of testimony against, and ten minutes for, the controversial issue. In the face of some high-profile opposition, the bills are now on the way to be scheduled for a House floor vote.

Employers like Volkswagen and Federal Express have argued the proposed law would infringe on their constitutional property rights, that they can bar employees from leaving guns in their locked vehicles on company property.

But Darren LaSorte, a representative of the National Rifle Association, says those arguments by large employers are a subterfuge.

“As far as the private property rights arguments go here, we just don’t believe that…those arguments hold water. We believe that they are convenient hiding places for people who are opposed to this legislation.”

LaSorte argues the individual’s property rights to his car, trumps those of the employer.

Meanwhile, Vanderbilt University chief of police August Washington warned lawmakers the bill would have long-reaching affect – all the way to universities.

“This bill does not have any prohibition from students, faculty, staff, employees or visitors…so anyone who could legally possess a firearm would be allowed to carry a firearm onto college campuses.”

Proposals to specifically allow guns on campus have been repeatedly turned back.

The bills are only one step away from being taken up on the House. The scheduling committee could set them for a vote as early as Thursday.

But in the Senate, the issue may come down to a battle of wills. Speaker Ron Ramsey has told businesses that the bills won’t come out of the Calendar Committee.

But the committee consists of one senator, who pretty much has free rein on whether to send matters to the floor – and that senator is Mike Faulk – the sponsor of both the guns-in-trunks bills. And Faulk isn’t running for re-election.

Governor Bill Haslam said earlier in the day that he thinks ultimately the legislature will not approve the bills.

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Proponents of the bill added amendments to allow some agriculture employers to control guns on their property, saying it meets the objections of the agricultural community. Farm Bureau spokesmen later said they weren’t consulted on the changes and still oppose the bill.

Although the bills have been debated at length in the Senate, the final committee action on the House versions were cut short by scheduling. The House Consumer and Employee Affairs Committee met at 8 a.m. before a meeting of the full House at 9 a.m.

Committee Chair Jimmy Eldridge prodded the members along.

“..and everybody knows where they are on these bills, and let’s try to move these bills out of here, as quick as we can, because we do have to be on the House floor by 9 o’clock….”

There are two bills in the mix.

HB 3560 Bass/ SB 3002 Faulk is the main bill, mandating that gun carry permit holders have a right to keep their guns in a parked car, and the employer/property owner has no right to ban the guns.

But a second bill, HB 3559 Bass/SB 2992 Faulk, would bar employment discrimination based on an employee owning a firearm.

Business attorneys fighting the measure say it creates a new “protected” class of employees, making it far more likely that a fired employee would sue in court, like someone who claims discrimination because of race, or age.