The House GOP leadership held their first press conference of the legislative session today and, well, they didn't like all of the questions they got about the guns-in-parks bill. The Nashville Post has the full transcript.

At one point, Glen Casada (R-Franklin) explained the distinction between what squirt gun holders and permitted gun holders could do:

Reporter: At the amendment, again, though. It does mention this idea of exempting, or not allowing explosives or other items including imitation weapons within this 150 feet. So, I’m still confused as to why it’s important to not allow squirt guns or fake guns within 150 feet of a school versus school property versus a permitted gun. Casada: All you have to do is look at Cleveland, Ohio, about two weeks ago. A child, 16 years old — maybe I shouldn’t use the word child — was waving a plastic gun. Police officers didn’t know what that was and they acted accordingly in defending the people at that park that they thought the young man had a gun. We want to avoid the vagueness and having innocent people shot for police doing their duty. [Editor's note: Ohio shooting was in November, boy was 12.] Reporter: In Tennessee then, police have to go and check whether that person has a permit before they took action? Casada: I think what the message says is if you’re waving a gun around — Reporter: Which as a permit holder you can do apparently, according to the Radnor Lake Rambo. Casada: You couldn’t. If you wave that gun around, you’re acting irresponsibly. And if a permit holder waves that gun around, they’re going to be in trouble quickly. Reporter: There’s been discussion in Nashville, though, with this person, this Radnor Lake Rambo who has a gun and under this law, even with this amendment, would still be allowed to walk around with a weapon if he’s permitted, with a real, again an AR-15, some sort of rifle. But if he has a squirt gun, then he can be arrested. Casada: I think the key is if he keeps that squirt gun hidden, right, he doesn’t wave it around, right, no one’s going to think he’s waving a weapon around.

So, to be clear, the House GOP leadership is telling us it's OK to bring your guns to parks, but for God's sake, don't flash that squirt gun or you might get hurt.

At one point, Casada refused to say that a bicycle is less dangerous than a gun:

Reporter: So, if there’s an accident and a permit holder is in a park, there’s a high chance it’s going to hit a child. Casada: There’s accidents with bicycles in parks. Should we outlaw bicycles? Reporter: Yeah, but bikes very rarely kill people. Casada: That's not true, I disagree with that statement. Reporter: Guns are weapons. Are you saying a gun is as safe as bicycle? Casada: If used properly I am. If used properly. Reporter: In the event of an accident, which is more likely to kill someone? Casada: Now we're back in theoretical. I think in Tennessee we're dealing with a lot more questions than guns in parks. I think this is a minor thing in the scope of what we're doing good in Tennessee.

They didn't appreciate all of the questions on raft of gun bills this session that the assembled reporters were making, either:

McCormick: I don't think you're presenting, I think you're advocating. Is this the only thing that's important to you guys? I mean, seriously. Reporter: You guys like to accuse the media of paying too much attention to this issue. McCormick: You are. Right now you are.

After the press conference, Andrea Zelinski, who is the chair of the Tennessee Capitol Hill Press Corps in addition to being a reporter for the Scene and Nashville Post, issued this statement on behalf of the corps:

Twelve weeks into the legislative session, this was the first time House Republican leaders held a news conference to speak at length about bills they want passed into law. Our job is to ask questions of public officials. If they think the press is asking them hard questions to explain their actions, they should ask Democrats like former Speaker Jimmy Naifeh if the media went easy on him and his party’s legislation when they were in charge.

Pith's guess is that Naifeh, Phil Bredesen and other Democrats who ran the state at one time would have been a lot happier without the media around to ask about Tenncare problems and inadequate school funding.