Handguns Will Be Allowed in Tennessee Bars and Restaurants
Handguns will be permitted in bars and restaurants in Tennessee starting next month after a new law was passed — but many venue owners plan to ignore it.
The law, which takes effect July 14, comes after state legislators voted to override the governor's veto.
The legislation retains an existing ban on consuming alcohol while carrying a handgun, and restaurant owners can still opt to ban weapons from their establishments.
Already, some are sounding off about the passage of the law. In Memphis, many bar owners are appalled by new legislation and are posting signs in their windows making it clear that weapons aren't allowed inside, despite what will soon become legal in the state.
"I do not think they mix well," Benny Carter, owner of Murphy's in Midtown Memphis, told FOX 13 in Memphis. "I don't think anybody does. I don't think I'm alone as a bar owner and proprietor."
Thirty-seven other states have similar laws.
The state Senate voted 21-9 on Thursday against Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen's veto, a day after the House also voted 69-27 to override.
They overrode critics, including Bredesen, who said it's a bad idea to have guns and alcohol in close proximity.
Democratic Sen. Doug Jackson, the main sponsor of the bill, said state Safety Department records show handgun permit holders in Tennessee are responsible.
Of the roughly 218,000 handgun permit holders in Tennessee, 278 had their permits revoked last year, records show. Since 2005, state records shows nearly 1,200 people have lost their permits.
Revocations are issued for felony convictions, while permits can be suspended for pending criminal charges or for court orders of protection.
Sen. Andy Berke was the only senator to speak against overriding the veto Thursday.
"I believe that we should follow the governor and rethink what we have done," he said.
The law, which was supported by the National Rifle Association, has been successful in other states, its chief lobbyist said.
"Of those 37 states, not one state has attempted to repeal or amend those statutes because they've been successful," Chris Cox said.
Bredesen spokeswoman Lydia Lenker said after Wednesday's House vote that the Democratic governor expected an override when he vetoed the legislation last week.
Following Thursday's Senate vote, Bredesen, who is a gun owner and hunter, reiterated his stance to reporters.
"I still think I'm right," he said. "I still think that guns in bars is a very bad idea. It's an invitation to a disaster."
I also found this on the governor's website and thought it was interesting:
I don't think any of the opposition to this law is rooted in reality. I haven't found the actual law yet, but I think state parks were also included in it. Glad cooler heads prevailed.Governor Phil Bredesen today vetoed House Bill 962, which would permit the possession of firearms in Tennessee restaurants and bars. Law enforcement officials and district attorneys from across the state flanked Bredesen as he spoke about his reasons for the veto.
"Let me be very clear: I am a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms. I am, and have always been, committed to preserving the rights of the Second Amendment: basic American rights. These rights are protected by the United States Constitution and the Tennessee Constitution as well," Bredesen said.
"However, these rights, for more than two centuries, have come with reasonable and necessary rules and guidelines. This bill crosses the line of reason. I have been a gun owner for over 50 years. When I was a young man, I took my first gun safety class – sponsored by the NRA – at my high school. There was one message conveyed during that class that has been imprinted on me since, and it was this: guns and alcohol don’t mix. That’s as true today as it was then.
"It is because of this principle that Tennessee state law has long prohibited the possession of firearms in places that serve alcohol. House Bill 962 would remove this safeguard in a manner that I, as well as many law enforcement officers, believe would be reckless and lacking safeguards to ensure public safety.
"A key role of government is to ensure public safety. To do that government must strike a balance between the rights afforded to us by the Constitution and common-sense rules that must be applied to the exercise of these rights. I believe we can exercise our second amendment rights and common sense at the same time – and guns and bars simply don't mix.
"Because of this, I am vetoing this bill and respectfully asking the legislature to rethink this issue."
I think this will be a good test case demonstration, at how badly the anti-gunners out there misjudged the CHL holder. And POOF! . Another anti-gun argument bites the dust. There will be no blood on the barstools, as they once said about the 'blood on the streets' argument made years ago, when concealed carry laws were passed in all of those states.
