A bill in the Tennessee legislature would allow citizens to carry switchblades, daggers, and potentially even swords and spears to defend themselves, according to media sources.

The state's Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-1 to recognize the bill which would essentially delete a 4-inch limit on the length of knives that one can carry, NashvilleScene.com reports. The bill would also nullify any existing local laws that prohibit the carrying of such weapons and ban any new laws from being imposed.

a“If my 18-year-old daughter feels the need to carry a weapon to defend herself, by law she cannot carry a pistol and it’s my contention that she should be able to carry a knife to defend herself," said State Senator Mike Bell, who sponsors the bill. "She shouldn’t have to worry about going across the state and wondering whether this length knife is going to be legal in this city and illegal in that city.”