This Year's Gun Debate Hits Close To Home For Tennessee Lawmakers

WPLN | By Blake Farmer,

Blake Farmer, Chas Sisk

Published February 16, 2016 at 3:28 AM CST

Signs around Tennessee's Legislative Plaza make clear that guns are banned for all but law enforcement officers.

In five minutes, WPLN's Chas Sisk gives the back-story on allowing guns within the halls of Legislative Plaza and describes the motivation behind firearms bills in the works this session.

Top Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly have discouraged lawmakers from spending much more time on gun bills. But many perennial proposals are back, along with a few new ones. And the most immediate change of allowing guns in Legislative Plaza may not involve a bill at all.

Blake Farmer

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Blake Farmer

Blake Farmer is WPLN's assistant news director, but he wears many hats - reporter, editor and host. He covers the Tennessee state capitol while also keeping an eye on Fort Campbell and business trends, frequently contributing to national programs. Born in Tennessee and educated in Texas, Blake has called Nashville home for most of his life.

Chas Sisk

Chas joined WPLN in 2015 after eight years with The Tennessean, including more than five years as the newspaper's statehouse reporter.Chas has also covered communities, politics and business in Massachusetts and Washington, D.C. Chas grew up in South Carolina and attended Columbia University in New York, where he studied economics and journalism. Outside of work, he's a dedicated distance runner, having completed a dozen marathons

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