The state House voted 69-27 June 3 to override a veto by Gov. Phil Bredesen (D) of a bill [HB962] allowing those who have handgun carry permits to take their weapons into establishments serving alcohol. The Senate followed suit on June 4 with a 21-9 vote to override. The law takes effect July 14.
Governor Says Guns in Bars Bill “Crosses the Line of Reason”
Law enforcement officials and district attorneys from across the state flanked Bredesen May 28 when he vetoed the bill.
"Let me be very clear: I am a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms," Bredesen said at the veto signing. “However, these rights, for more than two centuries, have come with reasonable and necessary rules and guidelines. This bill crosses the line of reason.”
Bredesen said that government needed to strike a balance between Second Amendment rights and public safety. “Guns and bars simply don't mix.”
Legislators easily overrode the veto.
Concealed Carry Veto "A Slap in the Face"
“Gov. Bredesen’s veto is a rejection of the desires of most Tennesseans and an overwhelming and bipartisan majority of legislators,” Tennessee Republican Party Chairman Robin Smith said in a statement after the veto. “It is a slap in the face to law-abiding citizens across the Volunteer State who have carry permits.”
