House Speaker Beth Harwell says she expects guns in trunks legislation to pass. Image courtesy Blount County Chamber of Commerce

So-called “guns in trunks” legislation is up for a vote of the full Senate Monday night, and it now appears set for smooth sailing in the state House. Speaker Beth Harwell says it will likely pass in her chamber.

The bill is revised from last year, when Harwell and other Republican leaders prevented it from coming to a vote at the wishes of big employers.

“By limiting it to gun carrying permit holders put some safeguards in place. And the liability issue, we just had to address that. That’s just something we had to do for business.”

The legislation includes immunity for the property owner if someone is shot with a gun stored in their parking lot.

However, the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce is still opposed.

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A summary of the bill – as written now – includes the specifics of how to comply with the law. The gun has to be kept out of sight while the vehicle is occupied. When the car is empty, the weapon has to be “kept from ordinary observation and locked within the trunk, glove box, or interior of the person’s vehicle or a container securely affixed to the vehicle.”