For almost an hour during a House committee meeting about two weeks ago, legislators, law enforcement officials and advocates on both sides of the gun rights issue debated a hypothetical situation that could play out anywhere in Tennessee.
The scenario goes something like this: A Tennessean with no handgun carry permit, of any description, walks into a fast food restaurant with a gun on their hip, in a jacket or purse. A customer in the store, uncomfortable with the gun being around, calls the police.
In the scenario, the person's only transgression is failing to have a permit for which he or she would be eligible. Yet, under current law, the action could yield a Class A misdemeanor, a $500 fine and up to a year in jail.
Read more at our news partner's website, tennessean.com.