City plans guns-in-parks vote tonight

How will the Shelbyville City Council vote tonight on the guns in parks issue?

Citizens will find out at 6 p.m. at the Shelbyville Police Department's courtroom when the city council meets to vote on the issue.

The newly passed Public Chapter No. 428 authorizes citizens in Tennessee with handgun carry permits to be able to lawfully possess a firearm in federal, state or local parks.

However, cities also have the option of excluding their parks by passing a resolution, according to the University of Tennessee Municipal Technical Advisory Service, and many are already doing so.

The resolution would prohibit handguns in "public municipal parks, natural areas, historic parks, nature trails, campgrounds, forests, greenways, waterways or other similar places," it reads.

Bell Buckle did so earlier this week, while a proposal to opt out of the measure died in Wartrace recently when no one voted on the issue.

Tullahoma is also considering voting to be excluded from the measure. Winchester and Manchester have already banned guns in parks.

Bedford County Mayor Eugene Ray said the closest thing the county has to a park is a county-owned river access point, and the county hasn't had any discussions on the gun issue.

The new law goes into effect Sept. 1, and if Shelbyville chooses to enact the resolution, it would have to be done before that date.