The Veto Message
Posted on May 28, 2009 at 4:08 pmGov. Phil Bredesen to Speaker Kent Williams on “guns in bars”:
I am vetoing House Bill 962.
I am a strong supporter of the right to keep and bear arms, as guaranteed by both the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution and Article I, Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution. I believe these provisions guarantee an individual right to bear arms, and I am unequivocally committed to preserving this American right.
Americans have also understood for more than two centuries that there are sensible rules that we apply to the exercise of these rights. I have been a life-long supporter of the responsible and appropriate handling and use of firearms. As a young man growing up in a small town, I attended a gun safety class in my high school sponsored by the National Rifle Association. A basic tenet taught in that class was this: “Guns and alcohol don’t mix.” This seemingly common sense proposition is as true today as it was almost 50 years ago.
In recognition of this basic principle of firearm safety, Tennessee state law has long prohibited the possession of firearms in bars and restaurants that serve alcohol. House Bill 962 would remove this protection in a manner that I, along with many law enforcement officers, believe to be reckless and lacking basic safeguards to ensure public safety. The notion that this bill would permit one to carry a concealed weapon into a crowded bar at midnight on a Saturday night defies common sense, and I cannot sign such a measure into law. As you consider this veto, I respectfully ask the legislature to rethink this issue.
Comments
12 Responses to “The Veto Message”
[...] One more update: Bredesen’s statement is here. [...]
[...] Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen, vetoed legislation that would have allowed guns in bars, stating: In recognition of this basic principle of firearm safety, Tennessee state law has long prohibited [...]
[...] CIVIL-RIGHTS SETBACK IN TENNESSEE: Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen vetoes a bill to allow licensed gun-carry in restaurants. An override is [...]
It is obvious that our Governor does not trust the law abiding, taxpaying citizens of Tennessee. He knows full well that current law prohibits a permit holder from drinking alcohol while carrying a sidearm.
He also does NOT respect Article I, Section 26 of the Tennessee Constitution,which says “the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.” There is no proof of permit holders shooting patrons in restaurants that serve alcohol. There ARE, however, cases of criminals shooting patrons in these restaurants. Just ask Nicole Goeser, a law abiding permit holder who watched in horror as her husband was gunned down before her eyes. She left her gun in the car because Tennessee law says she can’t carry it into restaurants that serve alcohol. This happened in Nashville, Governor. She, Like Susan Gratia Hupp, obeyed the law and watched helplessly as their loved ones were shot down in cold blood.
So, by obeying the law, she couldn’t help her husband and neither did any of those “many law enforcement officers” that you say agree with you. If police chiefs has their way, NO citizen would be allowed to carry a sidearms. Makes police work easier and safer for them.
The House, by a vote of 70-26 (73%)passed the bill and the senate voted 24-7 (77%) in favor of it, yet the Governor decides to veto it based on an old saw about “guns and alcohol don’t mix” He then continues “The notion that this bill would permit one to carry a concealed weapon into a crowded bar at midnight on a Saturday night defies common sense,…” The “NOTION?” Give me a break. You can’t do better than a NOTION. Evidence in 33 other states shows permit holders in restaurants serving alcohol are NOT A PROBLEM. Only in the Governor’s mind are citizens of Tennessee a problem.
The bill was never intended to make it easier to carry a gun into a bar at midnight on a Saturday night, or any other night. This is simply lamestream media fearmongering at it’s best. It was intended to allow citizens, like Nicole Goeser, who are willing to take on the responsibility for their own safety instead of relying on 911, to carry their sidearms into a restaurant. The law, as mentioned by the Governor is already in place to deal with those who carry guns and drink. Parking lots are not always the safest place to be and leaving a gun in the car means it could wind up in the hands of a criminal who broke into the car while one was dining.
Instead of doing what is best for citizens like Nicole Goeser, Our Governor has decided that HIS NOTION that this is a bad idea is enough to veto the bill. Shame on you Governor.
I hope all who read this will phone and email their respective state senator and representative as well as Senate Leader Ron Ramsey and Speaker of the House, Kent Williams and ask them to override the Governor’s veto of House Bill 962. The votes are there. The question is “do our elected representatives have the spine to take action and override the veto. We can only pray this will happen quickly.
William Noll
Corryton, TN
Mr. Noll - you’re awfully verbose. My much shorter reply: It’s not the law abiding taxpayers that Bredesen is worried about. It’s the teapartying tax evaders and the lawbreaking wackadoodles that have him (and Tennessee law enforcement) concerned.
Hmmmm. So concealed carry permit holders are all angels, eh?
This is with a 30-second Google search. And apparently we’re not supposed to notice the, oh, 99 people with carry permits who’ve had felony convictions or DUI, or the 200 people with restraining orders against them who are packing heat. So what do the gun nuts do when this stuff comes to light? Lobby to have all the records on violations by gun owners sealed, of course.
Even in a state that’s allowed zealots of all stripes to dictate wildly irresponsible public policy, that’s a pretty bold move.
“It’s the teapartying tax evaders…’
The above quote is just plain stupid. Individuals exercise their First Amendment rights and protest out of control government spending and high taxes, so it only stands to reason they are felonious tax evaders, right? Yeah sure thing; and I am sure you have plenty of documented examples to back up your assertions, don’t you genius? So I am assuming that when you mention anti-war rallies you say things like “it’s the anti-war treasonous draft dodgers…”.
And the notion that all of a sudden, since a law is on the books law-abiding individuals who weren’t taking guns into restaurants because it was illegal will now brazenly get drunk and pull a weapon is just plain stupid. If they had the inclination to do that, they would not wait for a law to pass in order to take a gun into a restaurant. Anti-gunners have used various iterations of the idiotic “it will turn into the wild west” argument for years, and for years they have been spectacularly wrong.
For someone who calls himself common sense, you have an awful small amount of it.
“the above poster has no common sense” makes a good point, but I won’t go as far as “stupid,” “Common Sense” has no idea of what the subject is about and probably even less HB 962 and wants to inject his particluar rant into a subject he seems to know little about. He’s entitled to his opinion but apparently doesn’t realize it’s a bit more than “off topic.” We’re talking about the Governor’s veto of a bill denying citizens the right to carry their sidearms into restaurants that serve alcohol. If Bredesen is afraid of “teapartying tax evaders and the lawbreaking wackadoodles” I haven’t noticed it. He obviously doesn’t give a fig about the 230,000 handgun carry permit holders who never have been a problem for law enforcement or the public at large. I doubt “commone sense” knows no more about Nicole Geoser than our governor does. The inability to express yourself and stay on topic seems implicit in you calling me “verbose.” You’ve added nothing to the topic at hand and may even have confused those less verbose eith “wackadoodles.”
[...] Posted by emeraldgryphon on Friday, 29 May 2009 Wow. Just wow. newsish link here. [...]
Tax evaders? Obama’s cabinet and staffers?
Speaking of mouth breeding wackadoodles and tax evaders… how about every single one of King Barry Hussain’s appointees….
Yoink…
Keep pushing moonbats. You’ll find out what the 2nd amendment is REALLY about.
I applaud Governor Bredesen for vetoing this insane piece of legislature.
If anything, we need stricter gun control and enforcement of the laws we already have.
Tennesseeans are already considered hillbillies by many people throughout the world. Now we will be thought of as gun-totin’ hillbillies.