FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - Kentucky residents could carry concealed deadly weapons in bars - as long as they don’t drink - under a bill passed by the Kentucky Senate Thursday. The measure still needs approval from the House.
Current state law prohibits concealed firearms from being carried into bars, and opponents of the measure cautioned that the state could see a rise in gun-related violence if it becomes law.
The bill’s sponsor, Sen. John Schickel, R-Union, compared those concerns to similar worries that were expressed before Kentucky passed its concealed-weapons law in 1998.
“Many folks were against it and predicted there would be a lot of problems with all kinds of things,” Schickel said. “Literally, blood running in the streets.”
Sen. Reggie Thomas, D-Lexington, said that because it would require gun-safety training, “there is a lot to like about this bill.” But he said he would vote against the measure “because we know the danger of guns.”
Of the current law that prohibits loaded guns in bars, Thomas added, “There was a reason that this was the law. Because, as common-sense adults, we know that guns and alcohol don’t mix. It is a prescription for disaster any time you put the two together.”
In response to a question, Schickel noted the bill does not spell out the potential liability of a bar owner in case of a shooting, nor does it provide a way for bartenders to determine which patrons are carrying concealed weapons.
“My fear is that in this bill there is no mechanism which will allow a private bar owner to prohibit someone from bringing a weapon into their bar,” said Sen. Morgan McGarvey, D-Louisville, who voted against the bill.
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The legislation is Senate Bill 60.
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