Wednesday, March 17, 2010
Virginia police chiefs: Don't allow guns in bars
The association wants Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto what it calls a "recipe for disaster."
General Assembly 2011
Among the major issues: The state's continuing efforts to provide services with fewer dollars and Gov. McDonnell's plan to privatize liquor stores. Session ends Feb. 26.
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VIRGINIA BEACH -- Calling guns in bars a "recipe for disaster," the state's police chiefs have pleaded with Gov. Bob McDonnell to veto legislation that would ease Virginia's concealed weapon laws.
Virginia Beach Police Chief Jake Jacocks sent a letter to McDonnell last week on behalf of the state association of chiefs comparing the combination of firearms and alcohol to drinking and driving.
"We can fully expect that at some point in the future a disagreement that today would likely end up in a verbal confrontation, or a bar fight, will inevitably end with gunfire if you sign this legislation into law," Jacocks wrote.
Senate Bill 334's requirement that anybody with a gun is prohibited from drinking and could be charged with a misdemeanor is "absurd," Jacocks said, and can't be enforced.
On Tuesday, Jacocks got support from Virginia Beach Mayor Will Sessoms, a McDonnell supporter and gun owner.
"Not only is it stupid," Sessoms said, "I think it could be a fatal mistake."
But their efforts seem unlikely to sway McDonnell.
McDonnell will sign the bill, Taylor Thornley, the governor's spokeswoman, said Tuesday. While McDonnell appreciates the work and comments of the police chiefs, he will "continue to protect and uphold the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens," Thornley said.
The bill and its House counterpart, along with legislation that allows gun owners without concealed-carry permits to store firearms in locked vehicle compartments, were among the gun-friendly bills approved by the General Assembly this year. The Democratic-controlled Senate formed a special subcommittee late in the session to kill several gun-rights bills, including a repeal of the state's one-handgun-purchase-a-month limit.
The police chiefs association has opposed the guns in bars bill in the past but it also had a more sympathetic ear. Former Democratic Gov. Tim Kaine twice vetoed such bills.
The Virginia Association of Chiefs of Police didn't come out strongly against the bills during the session because it was spread too thin trying to preserve state funding for police departments, said Dana Schrad, the organization's executive director.
"We didn't duck and cover on this one," Schrad said. "We had to prioritize on budget issues."
