Republican Gov. Bill Haslam has signed a bill to strip local governments of the power to bar people with handgun carry permits from being armed in parks, playgrounds and sports fields.

The contentious measure was introduced as a welcome gift from gun-friendly Tennessee lawmakers to the more than 70,000 people attending the National Rifle Association’s annual convention in Nashville earlier this month.

But the bill got tied up amid bickering between Republicans who control both the state House and Senate, and only passed once lawmakers agreed to remove the Capitol complex from the areas where permit holders could be armed.

Opponents say the final version of the legislation is still confusing due to a provision banning guns “within the immediate vicinity” of school activities, but not defining a specific distance.