Judge Blocks Law Allowing Guns in Tenn. Bars

A Tennessee law that allows patrons to bring guns into bars — but not to drink — has been struck down by a judge who ruled that the measure is unconstitutionally vague and “fraught with ambiguity,” the Associated Press reported Nov. 21.

The law, which survived a veto by Gov. Phil Bredesen to become law, contains exceptions that Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman said were confusing to the public. The measure replaces a blanket ban on guns in bars by allowing weapons to be carried into establishments that serve at least one meal five days per week or more as its principal business.

Restaurant and bar owners opposed the law in court, with attorneys saying that the public would have difficulty knowing which establishments met the criteria. However, Assistant Attorney General Lyndsay Fuller Sanders said patrons could just use their common sense and ask if weapons were allowed.

Supporters of the law said they expect to pass a clarifying measure, but that, too, could face a Bredesen veto.