Governor McDonnell just signed a bunch of laws into effect, including allowing restaurant carry, renewing carry permits by mail, and some addition rights for people seeking licenses to carry.
The restaurant carry thing is long overdue. Expect much in the way of bleating from the other side, but this means far fewer guns being left in vehicles, and that’s a good thing.
The other side should love it since it means more guns carried concealed. But that’s not how they will see it.
Yes, thank God you can now take loaded guns into bars. What a terrific idea. I think back to all the time I spent in bars in my 20s, and what was really missing were lots of firearms.
But the law didn’t change the presence of guns in restaurants, just the manner in which they are carried.
Most places licensed to serve alcohol are restaurants rather than bars. The problem with making a law about bars and guns is that it’s difficult to define what a bar is. Texas uses a 51% rule, in that 51% of your revenue has to come from food in order not to be a bar. Virginia might not have any such legal definition to hinge on.
Besides, people are restricted from drinking under this anyway, so I don’t see what the problem is.
That’s true, so does that mean the Brady position favors open carry in restaurants? :)
Yes, thank God you can now take loaded guns into bars. What a terrific idea. I think back to all the time I spent in bars in my 20s, and what was really missing were lots of firearms.
1. Already could legally.
2. Already could illegally.
3. What’s a bar? The Code of Virginia doesn’t recognize the concept.
4. If a person isn’t drinking, what’s the harm? I’d actually be okay with even allowing a person who’s drinking to carry a gun so long as he doesn’t possess ammunition at the time, as it helps prevent theft from unattended weapons.
It’s not something I have to deal with much anymore now that Bitter is up here. But it was a pain in the ass in Virginia. A few times we’d be out with someone else, stopped some place for lunch “Oh shit, this place has a liquor license.” So you end up leaving it in a vehicle. Great.
Dinner we generally planned, so if we were going to a place with a liquor license I just left it at her house. Lunch wasn’t always planned.
I did open carry in a restaurant once in Virginia, that was known to be friendly to the concept. I did not consume alcohol.
It’s not an issue here in PA. We’ve never restricted restaurants or bars, and here there’s no stipulation you can’t drink. But if you get caught carrying a gun while intoxicated, you’re likely going to get your LTC yanked and not get it back.
Great big kudos to Gov. McDonnell. Nice to get this done after that creep Kaine vetoed it twice.
Just wondering, since Petey say’s he spent a large amount of his youth in bars drinking alcohol, wouldn’t his time be better spent at AA or MADD? It doesn’t seem like the guns thing is working out. Just sayin’.
Woah.
How did this happen? I thought these bills were all sent to die in a special subcommittee comprising handpicked Fairfax county democrats.
Good news regardless.
“How did this happen? I thought these bills were all sent to die in a special subcommittee comprising handpicked Fairfax county democrats.”
Some were, most weren’t. A couple even made it through the Death Star subcommittee – not the controversial ones, such as the FFA and castle doctrine, obviously.
“A few times we’d be out with someone else, stopped some place for lunch “Oh shit, this place has a liquor license.†So you end up leaving it in a vehicle. Great.”
Even more fun is that you don’t always know until you’re sitting at the table and see the beer selection on the menu. At that point, you’ve already broken the law.
I plan to celebrate by eating lunch at my favorite local “bar” on July 1 (it’s a Thursday, too – that means half-off appetizers!).