Two gun bills recently came through the Virginia legislature. One, SB 476, would have allowed CCW permit holders to carry their guns into a restaurant that serves alcohol, provided they didn’t drink. Permit holders would be required to notify their server that they were carrying, so the server wouldn’t bring them any alcohol. The media went crazy, naturally. Democrat Mark Herring said, “Drinking alcohol and carrying firearms is not a good mix. It’s a public safety issue. There was no compelling case for loosening the restriction on carrying a concealed weapon into bars.” Never mind that the bill specifically prohibited “drinking alcohol and carrying firearms.” Gov. Tim Kaine vetoed the bill, because mixing guns and alcohol? It’s just not a good idea.
Unless, of course, you’re an “Only One.” Because SB 776 “[a]uthorizes an attorney for the Commonwealth or an assistant attorney for the Commonwealth to carry a concealed handgun without obtaining a permit wherever such attorney may travel in the Commonwealth,” like bars, restaurants that serve alcohol, and so forth. By the way, as “Only Ones” like this, you get a pass on training, too, since you’re apparently so good that you don’t need any training. That must be the case, since Gov. Kaine signed this one. Maybe it’s that whole bar exam thingie.
