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Ohio Set to Allow
Concealed Guns in Bars, Restaurants
Published June 18, 2011
Ohio is on the verge of allowing people with concealed-carry permits to
take their firearms into many facilities that serve alcohol, including
bars, restaurants, and sports stadiums.
The Republican-controlled legislature passed the legislation this week
and sent it to Gov. John Kasich’s desk. A spokesman for Kasich, a
first-term Republican, has said he would sign it.
Opponents say it will lead to a dangerous mix of booze and firearms.
“What Ohio wants to do is totally different from what we’re seeing
elsewhere,” Brian Malte, director of state legislation for the Brady
Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence in Washington, told the Cleveland
Plain Dealer. “It definitely goes a lot further than other states. I
would say it goes further also by including sports stadiums, which is a
very radical idea.”
But supporters say the measure is about allowing people who legally
have concealed weapons to carry the firearms into restaurants that
happen to serve alcohol, instead of leaving them behind in a vehicle.
“Ohio’s concealed handgun licensees already can carry into nearly any
burger joint. But if they try to have a hamburger and Coke at a Max
& Emma’s while armed, they commit a crime,” said Jeff Garvas, the
president of Ohioans for Concealed Carry, in a opinion article
published last month in numerous local publications.
“The only difference between the lawful and criminal act is the
presence of a liquor license at a particular restaurant,” he said.
“That’s the simple problem that ‘restaurant carry’ legislation is
designed to fix.”
Ohio is among nine states that generally prohibit firearms where
alcohol is served and consumed, according to the Legal Community
Against Violence, a national public interest law center aimed at
preventing gun violence.
Eight states allow guns in bars and restaurants, and a dozen states
prohibit guns in bars but allow them in at least limited parts of
restaurants. The remaining 21 states allow guns in places that serve
alcohol.
Columbus Mayor Michael Coleman is urging Kasich to veto the measure.
“As a member of Congress, Gov. Kasich compiled a strong record of
standing up to the powerful gun lobby,” Coleman said in a statement.
“We ask him to do so again today. Gov. Kasich has an opportunity to
stand with the overwhelming majority of Ohioans, including police
officers, prosecutors, restaurant owners and even gun owners, by
vetoing this legislation.”
If Kasich signs the bill, state law would no longer prohibit people
from carrying their concealed firearms into roughly 17,000 facilities
where alcohol is served and consumed, as long as they don’t drink. It
also would allow a person with the proper permit to have a loaded
handgun in a vehicle even if the gun is not secured in a holster or
other specified container, as long as the person isn’t violating other
legal restrictions.
Among the facilities that would be affected are restaurants, bars,
sports stadiums, nightclubs, shopping malls and museums. University
sports venues apparently would not be affected because properties owned
or leased by colleges are among the places where Ohio law generally
bans concealed firearms. Such weapons also are prohibited at many
government facilities, school areas and places of worship.
Establishments that want to prohibit firearms can still take advantage
of the existing law that lets privately owned or leased venues do so.
For example, the facilities that are home to Ohio’s major professional
sports teams plan to continue to ban weapons, for safety reasons.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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