Jackson business owners weigh in on guns in parking lots law
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JACKSON, Tenn. — A new Tennessee law allows workers to sue employers if they get fired for storing guns in their vehicles parked on company lots. “I can’t imagine someone banning, you know, somebody or firing somebody over that,” Sand‘s Old Hickory Florist co-owner Chris Maxwell said. Maxwell said he is OK with the law and supports the right to bear arms. “That really bothers me more than the actual gun part, just saying what you can do and what you can’t do,” he said. Attorney Mark Donahoe argues employment discrimination cases. “You would not only have to prove that there was a violation of the law, but you would also have to prove that you were somehow damaged in some way,” he said. Donahoe emphasizes the law only applies to handgun-carry permit holders and said there are some exceptions. “If you have a particular situation where you work for the federal government or a federal contractor, you definitely need to check with a lawyer before you attempt to try to push this law, because state law cannot supersede federal law,” he said. Deaton‘s Carpet One owner Gary Deaton said he supports the right to bear arms but believes there‘s already too many laws on the books. “This just encourages lawsuits that we don’t need,” Deaton said. “We have enough lawsuits in the country today.” Maxwell said he is interested to see potential challenges to this new law play out in court. “You can sue anybody over anything,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you’ll win.” Donahoe encouraged people to err on the side of caution. Both the House and Senate overwhelmingly passed the measure despite opposition from the Tennessee Chamber of Commerce.
