I have been led to believe in my wanderings that the “guns in bars” bill is, in reality, a “guns in restaurants that happen to serve alcohol” bill.
People are freaking out about bar patrons getting into “fisticuffs” with each other, leading to shootouts, and I don’t think that argument has any merit whatsoever, given that a bar is a place where more than 50% of the profit is gained from selling alcohol (or, if you’d rather look at it this way, less than 50% of the profit is made from food sales), and I was led to understand that any place with more than 50% of their profits being from booze sales is still a place that is off-limits to carry of any kind, whether the patron is drinking or not.
Here’s how I reached that conclusion – here’s the text from the bill, directly from the website:
Firearms and Ammunition – As introduced, allows person with handgun carry permit to carry in restaurants that serve alcoholic beverages as long as such person is not consuming alcoholic beverages and such restaurant is not an age-restricted venue. – Amends TCA Title 39, Chapter 17.
In Tennessee, an age-restricted venue is a place where more than 50% of the sales come from alcohol. They are called “bars” (imagine that), and the age-restriction is an attempt to discourage underage drinking, since watching EVERYONE in the building is kind of a pain in the ass. If someone under 21 is found in such an establishment after a certain time, the bar owner can lose their liquor license. Since the liquor is the main point of these places, you can imagine that the carding is pretty rampant – before I turned 21, I was kicked out of many places for being there after 11pm, because they didn’t want to even risk me taking a sip of anyone else’s beer (they needn’t have worried – blech), which would get them into a heap of trouble.
This is why someplace like Bosco’s probably doesn’t even have to bother to put up a sign at all (because they’re a brewery, and if you’re not seated at the bar, you’re likely not going to get much service at all, because they’re really worried about selling beer moreso than their pizzas and whatnot), and why someplace like Ruby Tuesday isn’t all that worried about people carrying in their restaurants, as THEY’RE more famous for tiny burgers and salads than they are for their drinks. Except for the strawberry lemonade. Nom nom.
So…did I miss something? Why is everyone referring to bars with this law? Bars shouldn’t even be an issue at all.
I mean, if you’re going to have PSH, at least have it over something relevent.
The Senate version didn’t have the age restricted venue stuff in it and it was stripped out in committee from the House version. So, carry anywhere that serves alcohol — even venues that earn 100% of their income from alcohol sales.
Oooooh. Okay. Thanks. I DID miss something,then…heh.
I think the age restriction was to allow smoking. I don’t think TN has the 51% rule like Texas does.
And, Bosco’s has a sign. Not in compliance, but a sign.
Yeah, now that I think about it, you’re right.
Bosco’s sucks, anyway. I always hated going there, because I don’t like beer. I’m not going to miss it.
The age restriction was struck by the Senate version, as Justin pointed out.
Right now, the only restriction that I am aware of is legally-binding signs.
Which is the way it should be. Thanks!
Bee-cause “Gunz in Restaurants” is not NEARLY as skeery as “Gunz in BARZ!!”.
O NOES
Funny, in my state we can legally carry in bars, real bars serving nothing to eat other than some hard boiled eggs floating in a jar and maybe a sandwich if the owners girlfriend’s around, and like Tam says about Indiana, we’re not shooting each other because of it. I can’t imagine why TN would be any different.
I can’t imagine why, either. This whole situation is just frustrating to me, because (as Tam pointed out in one of her posts), I can carry at Kroger, I can carry on the street, I can actually carry at work if I’m on the floor (not the hospital), but I have to unstrap just because there’s a type of alcohol on the menu? It doesn’t make any sense to me. I can drink at home. That doesn’t mean I’m going to get drunk and chase my cats around with a gun if they jump on the counter.
Judging by the General Assembly’s page for the bill, the conference committee discarded House amendment #1, which included the age-restricted venue language, but adopted Senate amendment #1, which includes a legal definition of “restaurant” for purposes of the authorization to carry. This definition appears to me to exclude bars that don’t sell food as their primary business.