The New York Times is reporting that Tennessee, Arizona, Georgia, and Virginia have recently enacted laws "explicitly allowing loaded guns in bars" for gun owners with concealed weapons permits. There are eighteen other states that allow loaded weapons in restaurants serving alcohol. The recent legislation in the four states comes after the Supreme Court ruled that citizens have individual rights to arm themselves, not just rights associated with "well-regulated militias." The recent laws have sparked additional debate for the longtime controversial subject. Of course, food service professionals are caught in the middle. Many restaurant and bar owners do not want to lose the business of gun owners but also have employees that don't feel comfortable serving armed patrons. The law has only been officially challenged once though, The New York Times reports:
"Filed by an anonymous waiter, the complaint contended that allowing guns into a tavern creates an unsafe work environment for servers. His complaint was denied by the state’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health."
