Last September we told you about a Tennessee OSHA (TOSHA) ruling: allowing guns in businesses that serve alcohol doesn’t create an unsafe workplace. Now, the state has taken the issue one step further.
Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam (R) has signed S.B. 519 into law. It states a company’s decision to permit handguns at work doesn’t amount to an occupational safety and health hazard.
The state already allowed employers to decide whether to ban handguns on their properties.
This new law is in response to a complaint filed by an employee of a Nashville bar.
A server at Jackson’s Bar and Bistro filed a complaint with TOSHA, claiming that mixing firearms and booze creates hazards for workers.
TOSHA ruled against the employee, but it also said the case wasn’t precedent setting. The agency said each case of gun possession in a workplace that served alcohol would be considered on a case-by-case business.
That prompted introduction of S.B. 519. The measure takes effect immediately.
Are lawfully carried guns in businesses that serve alcohol a danger to the establishment’s employees? What about other types of businesses? Let us know what you think in the Comments Box below.
