Illinois Businesses Face A Loaded Issue Over Concealed Carry Law
From the Chicago Tribune
You could miss it walking by. A small red circle with a line crossing over an image of a gun and a knife, printed on white paper and posted just east of the entrance: "NO WEAPONS."
But the makeshift sign outside Keefer's Restaurant on Chicago's Near North Side has attracted a lot of attention.
Under the recently passed concealed carry law, businesses can now choose whether to allow handguns on their property. If they post a sign outside their business declaring it gun-free, patrons are not allowed to bring them in.
But in deciding to ban or allow guns, business owners worry they may alienate patrons who support one side or the other. Business owners also worry their choice could saddle them with legal liability, should something go terribly wrong.
Illinois this month became the last state to allow concealed carry, and communities, authorities and residents are grappling with how to implement the change. Glenn Keefer, managing partner of Keefer's Restaurant, said he's a supporter of the Second Amendment and its emphasis on the right to bear arms. His family owns guns for protection.
"I just don't think alcohol and guns go together," Keefer said of his decision to ban them in his restaurant.
Read more in our daily News Update...
From the Chicago Tribune
You could miss it walking by. A small red circle with a line crossing over an image of a gun and a knife, printed on white paper and posted just east of the entrance: "NO WEAPONS."
But the makeshift sign outside Keefer's Restaurant on Chicago's Near North Side has attracted a lot of attention.
Under the recently passed concealed carry law, businesses can now choose whether to allow handguns on their property. If they post a sign outside their business declaring it gun-free, patrons are not allowed to bring them in.
But in deciding to ban or allow guns, business owners worry they may alienate patrons who support one side or the other. Business owners also worry their choice could saddle them with legal liability, should something go terribly wrong.
Illinois this month became the last state to allow concealed carry, and communities, authorities and residents are grappling with how to implement the change. Glenn Keefer, managing partner of Keefer's Restaurant, said he's a supporter of the Second Amendment and its emphasis on the right to bear arms. His family owns guns for protection.
"I just don't think alcohol and guns go together," Keefer said of his decision to ban them in his restaurant.
Read more in our daily News Update...