LOCAL PARKS WHERE AN OFFICIAL DECISION HAS BEEN MADE

Name of Park: All City Parks
City or County: Oak Ridge
Results of vote: Voted to prohibit carry (5-2)
Entity taking vote: Oak Ridge City Council

Name of Park:all
City:Dresden
Results of Vote:Banned
Entity taking vote:board of Aldermen

I'm sorry to report that our ignorant town leaders decided to get on the gun ban wagon and make the parks safe for criminals.

I will remember come next election

Name of Park:all
City:Chattanooga
Results of Vote:Banned
Entity taking vote:Chattanooga City Council 9 for the ban, 0 against

Name of Park:all
City:Hamilton County
Results of Vote:Banned
Entity taking vote:Hamilton County Parks & Recreation Department as far as i know.

Name of Park: All Parks
City: Memphis
Results of Vote: Banned
Entity taking vote: Memphis City Council (Hey at least I called and tried.)

This new law will protect us all in city parks I'm sure! I'm wondering what kind of cool force-field technology and wizardry ole Godwin will use to keep all those thugs with illegal guns out of parks. We just will continue to not go to the parks. My husband and I go rarely because of safety and thought that if this passed we could go more often. (Tip: Arkansas has great state parks and allows HG carry.) I want a vote count...but I'm pretty sure I have an idea of how everyone voted.

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news...98A_5TKtg.cspx

Name of Park: All Parks
City or County: Smithville
Results of vote: Carry Allowed (no vote just discussion)
Entity taking vote: Aldermen and Mayor

July 21, 2009


by:
Dwayne Page


The Smithville Aldermen apparently will not opt out of a new state law giving gun carry permit holders the right to possess a firearm in parks..
The new state law, recently adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly, is meant to let handgun permit holders carry their weapons into every park in the state. But in a compromise to ensure passage of the law, legislators included a provision that gives local governments the power to ban guns in some or all of their parks by passing a new ordinance.
Now, many local governments in Tennessee are moving to do just that before the state law goes into effect September 1st.
Mayor Taft Hendrixson brought the issue up during Monday night's city council meeting at the request of Director of Schools Mark Willoughby who apparently has some concerns, since teachers often take school students on trips to the city's parks. "I got a call today from the Director of Schools. The new law that has gone into effect allows guns in bars, restaurants, and other places. There is a number of cities and towns that are opting out to keep those (guns) out of city parks. I don't think the people that carry gun permits have ever given any problems. The best I can find out, probably not a one in the State of Tennessee has ever given any problems. But I was asked by the Director of Schools. I think his concern is a lot of the teachers, at certain times of the year, take the children over there for picnics or whatever at the parks. He just asked if I would bring this up before the board and get their feeling on whether we want to opt out of the law and do a resolution not approving guns in the parks, all of our city parks. I guess we're talking about the Smith Road, Airport, and Greenbrook Parks, the Joe L. Evins Ballfield. All of our public parks would come under this."
Alderman Shawn Jacobs said he didn't see a need to issue a ban. "My feeling is most of these people, all the people that have gun permits have undergone background checks, their fingerprints are on file, they have all taken a certain minimum number of hours of training and they're certainly more equipped or attuned to carry guns than most of the general public and as we've discussed I don't think there has ever been a problem with anybody that's carried a gun permit because they've passed the backgrounds. I would hate to see us do that personally. I think we're restricting more and more civil liberties all the time and the reason the legislature passed that was to try to lessen the confusion, I think, about where you can or can't carry a gun. I personally would hate to see us do that. That's just my opinion. This is always something we could revisit at a later time if there were problems."
The board took no action.

Name of Park: All Parks
City or County: Cookeville
Results of vote: Carry Banned

Name of Park: All Parks
City or County: Red Bank
Results of vote: Carry allowed

One of the members spoke before the vote and told the others that "we don't need to tell criminals that our parks are free range for them. (more or less).

Name of Park: All Parks
City or County: Church Hill
Results of vote: Carry allowed

Published July 21st, 2009






CHURCH HILL — By a vote of 5-2 Tuesday, the Church Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen decided against opting out of a state law that will allow people with carry permits to bring handguns into public parks.
A law recently adopted by the Tennessee General Assembly that lifts a previous ban on handguns in public parks takes effect on Sept. 1. But the state law also gives city and county governments the option of passing a resolution maintaining a handgun ban within their own jurisdiction.
On Monday, the Hawkins County Commission will consider a resolution maintaining the handgun ban in parks, as did the Church Hill BMA Tuesday evening.
Prior to passage of the state law, citizens outside of law enforcement, the military and a few other exceptions were not allowed to carry handguns into public parks regardless of whether they had a carry permit.
“The legislature has approved the practice of persons with handgun permits to have them on their person in the city park,” City Attorney Chris Raines said. “This (proposed resolution) prohibits them from carrying them in the park. State law already says if you do not have a handgun carry permit, you’re not supposed to go armed. That’s the crime of going armed.”
Alderman Bill Killen was most vocally opposed to the resolution during Tuesday’s discussion, noting that opting out of the state law would be limiting the rights of local citizens.
“If we pass this, we’re telling the people of Church Hill who have a carry permit they cannot carry their gun in our park, and I’m frankly not in favor of that,” Killen said.
Aldermen Tom Kern and B.D. Cradic voted in favor of maintaining the handgun ban in parks, although Kern admitted that he could see both sides of the issue.
Kern said he is concerned that the ban creates too much control, which he opposes. Kern also said he hopes that people with a gun permit will be sensible about where they take it.
Mayor Dennis Deal said he would be concerned about seeing a person at a Little League game with a pistol on their hip.
“I really believe that someone who would go through the process of getting a handgun permit would have enough decency not to have a gun on their hip (during a Little League game),” Deal said. “Those are law-abiding citizens.”

***UPDATE*****

Name: all parks in East Ridge
City: East Ridge
Entity Voting: East Ridge City Council
Results of vote: Carry prohibited

Previously a motion was made to ban carry and it died for lack of a second (see below) but the motion was reconsidered on 08/13 and passed unasimously to prohibit carry.

Chattanooga Times Free Press | East Ridge changes course to ban weapons

east ridge to vote tonight on opt out


Previous post below

Guns Will Be Allowed in East Ridge Parks - WRCB Channel 3 Chattanooga News, Weather |

Council Member Larry Sewell brought up the motion to opt out of the State Law.
Sewell did not receive a second motion on the matter. For now people with legal rights to carry a weapon will be allowed to bring their guns in to parks, including Camp Jordan. East Ridge City Manager is looking into whether the issue could be brought back up at a later council meeting, since their was no actual vote.