Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam signed SB1501 today making Tennessee the Seventh state to enact Knife Rights most important legislative initiative, Knife Law Preemption.

SB1501, sponsored by Senator Mike Bell and with its companion bill, HB0581, sponsored by Representative Vance Dennis, repeals all existing local knife laws on the books in Tennessee and prevents cities and towns from enacting any new knife laws more restrictive than state law.

The original bills also addressed those state laws by including a repeal on the ban on switchblades, dirks, daggers, stilettos and knives over four inches in length, but because of petty political reasons that section was stripped from the bill. The preemption section that remained and has now been signed into law is arguably more important and a huge step in the right direction. However, Knife Rights is committed to passing commonsense repeal of the ban on these knives next year.