A bill designed to help those who have filed protective orders better defend themselves against their antagonists is on the move in Tennessee.
House Bill 752, sponsored by state Representative Tilman Goins, would allow a person who is granted an order of protection, and who is not otherwise a prohibited person according to state or federal law, to carry a firearm for 60 days after the initial order of protection is issued. It passed out of the House Civil Justice Subcommittee this week and will now move to the full House Civil Justice Committee for consideration.
This measure would allow a person under an order of protection to exercise his or her right to self-defense while allowing time to complete the Tennessee handgun carry permit process—a law that could have saved the life of New Jersey resident Carol Bowne if that state had such a law on the books at the time.
