Proposal to Not Mix Guns and Alcohol Leaves NRA Enraged

An attempt by a Virginia Democrat to introduce a ban on concealed guns in bars and restaurants serving alcohol in the state has angered gun rights advocates, including the National Rifle Association (NRA).

The bill introduced by Virginia state Senator Saddam Salim, a Democrat, would ban people from bringing concealed handguns in any businesses with a license to sell and serve alcohol on the premises—even if they're not themselves drinking. Doing so would be considered a Class 2 misdemeanor that could lead to a fine or even jail time.

Under the current state law, anyone with a concealed gun permit can enter a bar, restaurant or club serving alcohol, though they're not allowed to drink while there.

It's an effort that's particularly surprising for Virginia, who was among a number of states—including Arizona, Georgia and Tennessee—to allow the practice of carrying a concealed loaded gun in bars and restaurants in 2010. But Salim is far from the only Democrat in the country trying to increase gun control in their state.

This month, California has become the latest state in the U.S. to introduce a law prohibiting people from carrying guns into bars—concealed or not. The measure had initially been blocked by a district court judge who declared the law unconstitutional, saying that it violated the rights of citizens to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment.

But on Saturday, a federal appeals court voted to clear the way for the new law, which bans Californians from carrying firearms in 26 categories of sensitive public places including parks, stadiums, hospitals and places of worship.

The bill—SB 57—was enacted by the Democrat-led state in response to a Supreme Court landmark ruling in June 2022 which expanded the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment to include a person's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense. The decision struck down a New York's law which attempted to introduce a stricter gun permit regime in the state.

In Virginia, Salim's proposed bill has angered gun rights advocates who said the legislation would unfairly punish law-abiding gun owners in the state.

The NRA criticized Salim's bill in a written statement saying that "this extension is a clear indication that the underlying intent is not safety, but rather a systematic effort to undermine the self-defense rights of law-abiding Virginians."

NRA Spokesperson Billy McLaughlin added: "Self-defense is a fundamental human right and a deterrent to crime. Sadly, bars and restaurants, whether they serve alcohol or not, are not immune from criminal acts. It's essential to recognize that public spaces are safer when citizens are equipped to protect themselves and others."

The Virginia Citizens Defense League, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with the goal of protecting the right to keep and bear arms, said in a statement that the bill is "a classic example of a solution looking for a problem to solve."

The group said that "Virginia's 680,000 permit holders, as well as hundreds of thousands of non-resident permit holders visiting Virginia, have been peaceably carrying concealed handguns in restaurants and clubs that serve alcohol since 2010."

Salim told WUSA9 that one of the concerns he heard the most from his constituents was the fear that someone might be carrying a concealed loaded weapon while they're out for dinner or lunch.

Newsweek contacted Salim and the Virginia Citizens Defense League for comment by email on Tuesday. The NRA was contacted for comment by email on Wednesday.

The new California law and Salim's proposed bill are part of a wider, cross-state movement to introduce stricter gun legislation which followed the outcry sparked by deadly mass shootings like the one in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022.

These same calls for stricter gun legislation are strongly opposed by gun rights advocates, organizations and many Republicans, who say efforts to limit the carrying of weapons in public go against the Constitution's Second Amendment.

It's actually quite common for states to ban the carrying of firearms inside bars and any other places where people consume alcohol, as these are considered to be venues where fights can easily break out.

These are the states that currently forbid firearms (concealed or not, loaded or not) in bars and restaurants serving alcohol, according to data compiled by the Giffords Law Center: Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, Kentucky (in the case of loaded firearms), Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, South Dakota, Virginia, Washington and the District of Columbia.

New York, after the ruling of the Supreme Court in 2022, scored a significant victory on December 8 when a federal appeals court ruled that the state was allowed to bar gun owners from carrying weapons in "sensitive" locations including parks, zoos, bars and theaters.