According to this story on the WBIR website, Gov. Haslam has signed the bill passed by the Tennessee legislature that will allow employees to keep their guns locked safely in their cars while at work, even in the employer has a no guns policy.
Here’s the good part; the law represents a fair compromise that protects both the property rights of the employer as well as the self defense rights of the employee. Until now, an employee found with a gun in his car could be fired and charged with a crime if his employer has a ‘No Guns’ policy. But now, with the new law in place, the employee is not guilty of committing a crime and faces no legal sanctions.
On the other hand, the employer still has the right to maintain a completely gun free work place and fire the employee for bringing the gun onto the work site. From a libertarian perspective, this is the perfect solution. The government recognizes both sets of rights, and accommodates them to the maximum extent possible. Instead of placing a burden on the employee by infringing his rights to carry a weapon to and from work, or infringing on the employer/property owner’s rights to control access to their property, the government gracefully got out of the way.
As an adult, I am willing to accept the consequences of my actions and I am fully capable of evaluating my priorities. Balancing theĀ idea of keeping my job ion one hand with maintaining my own safety and security is something that, as a gun owner, I’ve been doing every day since the first day I got my HCP. The only difference is that now, the State of Tennessee has officially recognized that my right to defend myself is not a criminal activity.
And that’s a good thing!
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