Mt. Juliet, TN City Employees may Soon Carry Guns At Work

By a 4 to 1 vote, the city gave its initial approval to letting city employees carry concealed handguns.  What is most interesting is how the bill changed through the process.  From a local TV station in Tennessee:

City commissioners in Mt. Juliet passed an ordinance that would allow employees with valid carry permits to bring a gun onto city property.
It was the ordinance's first reading.
The ordinance would permit all city employees to have a gun on their person while performing their city duties.
"Anytime that you can get in here, as government body, and remove any barriers to people's rights to self protection, and self defense, I think that's a good thing," said Mt. Juliet Vice Mayor James Maness.
He was one of four commissioners who voted in favor of the ordinance. The proposal started out to allow guns in parking lots, and was then amended to allow city managers to carry guns, and eventually was changed to allow all employees with a valid permit to bring a gun to work.
"We're not granting anyone extra rights, we're just choosing not to deny them the rights they already have," Maness said.
The ordinance raised red flags for Commissioner Jim Bradshaw, the lone no vote against the ordinance.
"I was just really, totally shocked the other night the way this ordinance started out and got turned and twisted," Bradshaw explained.
Bradshaw said his opposition has nothing to do with the right to carry a gun. He just does not feel it is sound policy to allow employees to carry guns while they are working. . . .