Posted on 05/12/2011 2:24:28 PM PDT by marktwain
COLUMBUS — A bill to allow concealed carry permit holders to take their guns into Ohio bars and restaurants serving alcohol could be on its way to Gov. John Kasich next week after the House on Wednesday gave its approval, 56-40.
House Bill 45, like Senate Bill 17 — separate but similar legislation approved last month by the Senate — would prohibit concealed carry permit holders from drinking while in the bars or restaurants.
House Speaker William Batchelder, R-Medina, said he expects Gov. John Kasich to sign a final bill. Rob Nichols, Kasich’s spokesman, said the governor supports the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to bear arms but wants to see the final version of the bill. The heated, two-hour debate was matched by sharp disagreement between two Montgomery County elected officials.
“This is not a good use of time by the legislature,” said Montgomery County Commissioner Dan Foley, a Democrat. “It’s going to make our communities less safe.”
Rep. Mike Henne, R-Clayton, who voted for the bill, disagreed. “I don’t believe it will cause more gun violence,” he said after the vote.
“I’ve been to some of these raunchy bars in my youth. All of those people have guns in those bars anyway. These laws (against guns) do nothing but take away guns from law-abiding citizens. They don’t take guns away from the criminals.”
Six Republicans voted against the bill. Fifty three Republicans, including all from the Dayton-area, voted for it. Three Democrats voted for the bill, while 34,including Rep. Roland Winburn of Harrison Twp., voted "no."
The bill also removes restrictions on how a permit holder must handle a gun while driving. Currently guns must be in a holster, a locked case or unlocked container in plain sight.
Rep. Todd McKenney, R-New Franklin, proposed an amendment to permit a vote only on removing the restrictions on guns in cars. McKenney said he supported that provision but was opposed to permitting concealed guns in bars and restaurants, particularly because of the danger in tough bars.
“We’re not talking about Applebee’s or the Olive Garden,” said McKenney, one of the three Republicans who voted against the bill. “We’re talking about the Hi De Ho.”
His amendment was tabled or put aside, 58-38.
Opponents said that guns and alcohol don’t mix and that prohibiting the concealed carry holder from drinking wouldn’t eliminate the danger.
After the Senate passed its version last month, the House delayed quickly following up because of opposition from the Ohio Restaurant Association. Law enforcement groups also expressed opposition. Batchelder said support for the bill grew as GOP members discussed it.
Because the House and Senate have passed separate bills, final action requires one chamber to give its approval to the legislation passed by the other one. This will require another vote, but Batchelder said it had not been decided how this would work out.
He said, however, that final action should come by next week.
Do you have a convenient source for this? I'm not going to look up all 50 states individually. I know that in my state, Texas, you cannot carry in a bar.
Dang - now if they can get just past the “carry at work” hurdle, NOBODY will add more water when we say it’s wet enough!
You can carry at work in almost all states providing your have your employer’s permission. IMHO, that’s not much of an issue.
You can carry at work in almost all states providing your have your employer’s permission. IMHO, that’s not much of an issue.
I’d bet it would be an issue in San Francisco, Boston, Wash., DC , Boston ......
Here is a link for the opencarry.org map. My understanding is that you can carry in restaurants that serve alcohol in Texas if they do not receive 51% or more of their income from alcohol.
http://www.opencarry.org/restaurant.html
You haven’t really lived until you spend an evening in a bar full of drunk cops.
That pretty much leaves family restaurants. No bar or nightclub would qualify. Even the defunct Bennigans didn't qualify. I thought we were talking about bars here.
That was put in place after the Luby's Massacre.
The opposition likes to characterize it that way. The bill removes the restriction from all places that serve alcohol. My understanding is that in most states, there is no prohibition on carrying in places that serve alcohol. I believe that Texas is an outlier in that regard.
For example, California, which is quite restrictive, doesn't prevent people who have a ccw from carrying in places that serve alcohol. Arizona just passed a bill last year that removed the restriction from its ccw holders, but did say they could only carry there if they did not drink there.
It was 4 years after Luby’s that Shall Issue passed in Texas. Prior to that, getting a license to carry anywhere, alcohol or no alcohol could be anywhere from time consuming to impossible depending on the jurisdiction you lived in. If Hupp hadn’t campaigned as she did, we still my not have shall issue carry.
You are correct. Susanna is a heroine. Texas was a tipping point for CCW in most states. We might still have gotten where we are today, but it would have taken a lot longer without the dedication of Susanna Hupp. She was recruited to the cause by Neal Knox.
The mythical blood in the streets never transpires.....except in places with strict gun control.
In PA you can carry in a bar and drink while carrying too.
And guess what?
Legal gun owners are not shooting up the place.
I too feel that your statement is not accurate.......Michigan being one state that prohibits firearms in bars.
As a side note, I shoot clays at several gun ranges and not one of their club houses allows alcohol on the premises............
It seems that Michigan’s prohibition is much the same as Texas’. Carry not allowed in places that obtain majority of their income from alcohol consumption on the premises.
Here is another article on the subject. It gives more information.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2719184/posts
Yes, that is true.......
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