NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Gov. Bill Haslam on Wednesday lauded a Senate committee for defeating a proposal to get rid of Tennessee’s requirement to obtain a state-issued permit to carry handguns in public.

Supporters of annual efforts to loosen handgun carry laws in Tennessee have long argued that permit holders’ background checks and training ensure that they are responsible enough to be armed in most public situations.

“We’ve passed a lot of bills based on handgun carry permit holders, and it just felt wrong to kind of change the game in the middle of it,” Haslam said.

About 544,000 people had handgun carry permits in Tennessee at the start of this month. According to the Safety Department’s most recent statistics, about 1,700 permit applications were denied in 2014, while another 1,500 were suspended or revoked.

The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Mark Green of Clarksville failed on a 4-4 vote in the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday evening. Bills must receive a majority vote to advance.

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