Tennessee Lawmakers Try To Unscramble Confusion Over Gun Measure

The Tennessee House of Representatives moved swiftly to reject plans to let guns into the Capitol. 

No speeches. No debate.

But leaders are hoping the vote will give them a chance to fix problems with the guns-in-parks bill.

House lawmakers voted 75-17 to stick with the version they approved a week ago, a version that lacks a provision put on by the Senate that would have let gun owners with permits to carry in public take their weapons into the statehouse.

The decision kicks
 the measure back to the state Senate, which added the amendment at the suggestion of Democrats who oppose the bill but argue lawmakers should at least be consistent.
 

Senators have no plans to back down, either. But that’s actually what House Speaker Beth Harwell
wants. 
The procedural back-and-forth has opened the door to a second debate over the gun bill, one that Harwell hopes will give them a chance to settle questions she and Gov. Bill Haslam have about the measure.

“I would prefer that it go to conference and iron out some things that I think need to be addressed,” Harwell said after the vote.

In general, House Bill 995 is supposed to end local bans on guns in parks. That would have the effect of opening all parks in the state to firearms.

But some of the specifics — like whether the law would allow guns in parks shared with schools or in parks  being used by school clubs or sports teams — are unclear.

Even supporters of the bill have offered different legal interpretations.

Originally, backers had hoped to pass it before the National Rifle Association opens its conference in Nashville this weekend. 
But with so many questions hanging over the measure, it’s more likely lawmakers won’t have it worked out until long after convention-goers have left town.