A sliver of sanity exists in gun talks

A sliver of sanity has managed to slip into the Tennessee legislature’s most recent effort to pass a law allow guns in the parking lots of private businesses.

The legislation recently passed by the state House of Representatives allows any Tennessean who has a permit to carry a firearm to now take that gun into any private business parking lot and leave it in the car — without criminal penalty — if he or she has a valid gun-carry permit.

Maybe a “tiny silver” is more appropriate because lawmakers refused to address an existing but littleknown state law that allows a “non-student adult” to have a firearm in a car on the property of any public or private school, college or other educational institution — regardless of school policy — as long as the gun is not handled.

The Senate also has passed the bill, which is headed to the desk of Gov. Bill Haslam. An aide to the governor said Haslam is likely to sign it.

No cops can be called because somebody takes a gun into the space where everybody in the company parks.

That’s not the sliver of sanity. It’s silly, and potentially life-threatening bill to make it easier for shooting to break out when somebody gets mad at the boss or at a co-worker and can simply goes out to the car to get his gun. But there is one catch. Businesses, under the law can still post a non-guns policy for their employees and their employees must follow that policy — or face disciplinary action by the company.

And businesses should take advantage of that bit of sanity. Post regulations that keep guns out of employee cars. Make sure the regulations are followed. That’s the sanest and safest thing that companies can, and must do, to minimize the chance that a disgruntled or chemically-altered employee will have easy access to a gun in the parking lot.

But the law passed by the General Assembly is still deeply flawed.

By allowing guns in parking lots and removing any criminal penalties for those who violate a company’s policy on guns, businesses have precious little leverage on non-employees, or ex-employees, or ex-spouses from bringing guns to the workplace parking lot.

The law removes the ability of companies to have any criminal recourse against gun-permitted customers or visitors to bring a gun to the park lot.

Still, the Republican-controlled Tennessee legislature did respond to a degree to the near-universal business opposition to the guns-in-parking-lots legislation.

The House bill has been a amended in a modest way to address the concerns of the business community.

Let’s hope keep that spirit of sanity lives on in Tennessee when it comes to passing gun laws.