TN Restaraunt Carry: Support needed

[hso]

THIS BILL ALLOWING CARRY IN PLACES WHERE ALCOHOL IS SERVED CAME OUT OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY WITH NO RESTRICTIONS - THIS WILL REQUIRE THAT THE HOUSE ADOPT THE SENATE VERSION. We'll need to push hard in the next week for this to have a chance of passing. Even if you don't live in TN, but vacation here or drive through this is important to you since your carry permit will force you to leave your handgun in the car if you go into a place where beer is served if this bill isn't passed.

You can find your TN legislators by going here for the Senate and here for the House. I recommend calling as well as emailing. Be brief and to the point (e.g. "Hello, I'm XXXX from YYYY and I wanted to call in support of the passing of SB 1127, the Restaurant Carry Bill. Other states that allow carry permit holders to carry in restaurants don't have any problems as a result of doing so and I'd like TN to join their ranks. Thankyou.")

SB 1127
HB 0962*
(Full Text) Carrying guns in restaurants. Authorizes any individual with a handgun carry permit to carry a firearm into a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages as long as such individual is not consuming alcoholic beverages and such restaurant is not an age-restricted venue, defined in current code as an establishment that restricts admission to persons who are age 21 years or older by checking patrons' identifications. (S: Jackson; H: Todd)
Senate Co-Sponsor: Norris
Amendment: Senate Judiciary amendment 1 removes the age restriction requirements from the bill. Does not contain the hourly restrictions contained within the house bill. House amendment 1 rewrites the bill. Authorizes any individual with a handgun carry permit to carry a firearm into a restaurant that serves alcoholic beverages as long as such individual is not consuming alcoholic beverages. Prohibits such carrying between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 5:00 a.m. and at such times that the restaurant is age-restricted. Defines age-restricted for purposes of this amendment as a restaurant that affirmatively restricts access to persons 18 or older by checking patrons' identifications. Removes reference in original bill referring to the bill being subject to provisions of TCA 9-17-1359, permitting a property owner to post notices on such property prohibiting firearms.

Senate Status: Senate Judiciary 04/08/2009 recommended with amendment.
House Status: House 04/06/2009 passed with previously adopted amendment 1.

TFA SUPPORTS this bill as recommended by the SENATE on SB1127 which strips out the curfew and the "age restricted" provisions.

NOTE: WE NEED HEAVY CALL VOLUME IN THE HOUSE AND SENATE FOR THIS BILL TO PASS AS IT CAME OUT OF THE SENATE JUDICIARY WITH NO RESTRICTIONS - THIS WILL REQUIRE THAT THE HOUSE ADOPT THE SENATE VERSION.