Guns in restaurants
Phoenix Convention Center officials want state officials to suspend their liquor license but only in part of the building so National Rifle Association conventioneers can carry and exhibit guns.
Arizona state law bars people from carrying weapons in venues where liquor is served.
Another reason these laws are kinda dumb.
May 7th, 2009 at 9:56 am
In Oregon, there are no liquor-establishment restrictions on carry for licensees. That makes sense.
In Oregon, you may carry on an Oregon permit and nothing else (except Federally-preempted). That makes no sense.
Doesn’t the AZ law read “where liquor is served”, not where “the premises are licensed to serve liquor”? If it is the former, the convention Center can just keep all the bars closed, and carry would be legal. I suspect that the Convention Center doesn’t want to lose that revenue, however, and probably will refuse to close the bars UNLESS the Liquor Commission suspends their license FOR them.
There is room for negotiation here. Why doesn’t the Convention Center and the NRA sit down and negotiate over the NRA paying a slightly higher fee to cover loss of liquor revenue? It would seem that the NRA might be penny-wise and Constitution-foolish here.
May 7th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Except it is about the license, and not where it is served. I’ve read the law and consulted lawyers about it since I’m planning events at other places with liquor licenses.
It’s not a matter of closing down bars and NRA just trying to save a buck. There isn’t any alcohol served at the Exhibit Hall, just at the receptions and banquet. In fact, my understanding is that technically the Exhibit Hall couldn’t even have display guns because of the license, so it’s clear that the Convention Center was willing to work it out when they accepted the convention contract years ago. They knew they would have to work around the law when they responded to the RFP. Instead, the Convention Center and city have been willing to work with NRA, even allowing a gun check option for those events where alcohol is served.
May 7th, 2009 at 1:41 pm
I recall several elections back when Pat Buchanan was a serious candidate in the GOP Primaries, had Secret Service protection, and appeared at the NRA Convention.
He went around to various venders, handling the wares, and his SS detail was sweating bullets. The normal proceedure for the appearance of a personage protected by the SS is that everyone has to go through a metal-detector screening – good luck at the NRA Convention. There were guns everywhere, and the agents were having kittens, and Buchanan remarked that he never felt safer at any other event that year than how he felt, and was received, at the Convention.
I think it is safe to say that with the current philosophies of our respective political parties, we don’t have to fret about President Obama showing up at the NRA Convention anytime soon.
May 7th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
AD, in the ’80’s the President of Ecuador visited the Steel Challenge Pistol Match at the SWPL. The SS just flat out refused to accompany him.