MICHELLE WILLARD, Post Staff Writer
Posted: Wednesday, July 8, 2009 1:26 pm

The Tennessee Secondary Schools Athletic Association’s stance, or non-stance, on guns in parks has no bearing on what’s best for Murfreesboro, City Manger Roger Haley said.

“My recommendation to the mayor and council was initially presented without any knowledge of TSSAA’s position,” Haley said. “My position today is the same as it was when I presented it to the council two weeks ago.”

Two weeks ago Haley presented a resolution to opt out of a new state law that allows carry-permit holders to bring handguns into state, county and municipal parks across Tennessee.

During a discussion about the resolution, Mayor Tommy Bragg suggested the Murfreesboro City Council defer a decision until TSSAA’s opinion on the issue and the effect guns in parks may have on Spring Fling, the state high school sports championship that is held in Murfreesboro annually.

TSSAA Executive Director Bernard Childress then told Bragg, other city officials and local media outlets the organization will not hold Spring Fling in any city that allows guns in parks where the event is held.

But earlier this week Childress retracted his earlier statements and said TSSAA has no official stance on guns in parks.

“We really don’t have a stance on guns in parks,” he said Tuesday. “It’s none of our business. … We apologize for that getting out and people thinking we would not consider Murfreesboro (for Spring Fling).”

In response, Haley said TSSAA’s stance, whether for or against guns in parks, has no bearing at all on his recommendation to ban all guns in Murfreesboro city parks.

“Our parks are not a place where individuals need to feel threatened to the point where they feel the need to go armed,” he said.

“I thought it was a ridiculous waste of time for the General Assembly to discuss this issue and vote to allow guns in parks and I think it is appropriate for local governments to opt out and for Murfreesboro to exercise that option,” he added.

So Haley still plans on bringing the resolution back up at Thursday night’s city council meeting.

Michelle Willard can be contacted at 615-869-0816 or mwillard@murfreesboropost.com.