GIBSON COUNTY, Tenn. — A three-judge panel of the Gibson County Chancery Court ruled on Friday in favor of Gun Owners of America, declaring Tennessee’s ban on carrying firearms in state parks unconstitutional.
The lawsuit, filed in February 2023, argued that the state’s law prohibiting carrying a firearm “with the intent to go armed” and the rules banning weapons in state parks violated constitutional rights. Other plaintiffs included Stephen L. Hughes, Duncan O’Mara, Elaine Kehel, and the Gun Owners Foundation.
Tennessee Firearms Association Executive Director John Harris praised the decision, saying, “If the court’s ruling stands, we end up with true constitutional carry, which only a handful of other states have.”
However, State Rep. John Ray Clemmons (D-Nashville) criticized the ruling, citing safety concerns: “Sometimes parents have disagreements at Little League games, tempers flare, and the last thing you want is firearms being brandished or creating even a threat of harm.”
The ruling could significantly impact Tennessee’s gun laws if upheld.
