AZ: Gun bill approved by Senate
The Arizona Republic is reporting that under a bill that passed Thursday in the state Senate, carrying your loaded gun into a bar or restaurant that serves alcohol would be legal - as long as CHL-holder doesn't drink.
"There are already guns in bars and restaurants now, but they are brought in by the criminals," Sen. Ron Gould, R-Lake Havasu, who supported Senate Bill 1363, to the newspaper. "If we don't allow law-abiding citizens to protect themselves, we're doing a great disservice to the public."
According to the story, the bill passed by a vote of 17-11 and now moves on to the House where supporters are confident there are enough votes for passage. Last year a similar bill passed the House, but fell one vote short in the Senate.
From the story:
- The National Rifle Association is pushing for the bill as a way to allow law-abiding gun owners to dine in restaurants without leaving their weapons at home or in the car, where they could be stolen and are useless for protection. The bill would allow establishments to prohibit guns by posting a sign, though the sign's language would not refer to guns, only to the statute's official number.
NRA lobbyist Darren LaSorte said 33 other states allow citizens to carry guns where alcohol is served, and only Alaska prevents gun carriers from drinking, as Arizona's law would.
"Arizona's would be one of the most restrictive laws out there," said LaSorte, who predicted the bill will pass in the House.
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