No matter how much ridicule is heaped upon them, Tennessee lawmakers just can’t stop loving on guns. Today a resolution to honor a military sniper rifle sailed through the Senate State and Local Government Committee by a unanimous vote.

The resolution would designate the Barrett M82 the "official rifle of the state of Tennessee."

It’s made by Murfreesboro’s Barrett Firearms Manufacturing, which is owned by Ronnie Barrett, a big political donor to Tennessee Republicans. The same resolution passed the House last year overwhelmingly.

Today senators dismissed criticism that the sniper rifle is used to kill people and so maybe the legislature shouldn’t celebrate it. Sen. Richard Briggs, R-Knoxville, said the gun also is “used to fire into mines to detonate ordnance and it would save American lives.”

“It can be used to disable vehicles without killing the occupants of that vehicle. It not only saves American lives it may even save innocent civilian lives,” he said.