NRA lobbyist attended caucus before gun vote

Republican leaders acknowledged that a lobbyist for the National Rifle Association attended a meeting of the House Republican Caucus before an overwhelming vote on a proposal that would allow permit holders to bring their handguns into establishments that serve alcohol.
House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol and Caucus Chairman Glen Casada of Franklin confirmed to The Commercial Appeal that Heidi Keesling was at May 5’s caucus meeting.
Her message was that the NRA opposed an amendment to the bill that would have banned guns in businesses serving alcohol that derived less than half of its income from food sales.
About two hours later, the House voted 60-36 to table the amendment and 66-31 to send the final bill to the governor.
Rep. Joe McCord denounced the NRA on the House floor.
After laying out his NRA and gun-carry credentials, McCord said that rather than help lawmakers craft a responsible bill allowing permit holders to go armed into genuine restaurants that serve alcohol as he and others have pushed for 11 years the NRA’s ``solution is to make it legal to carry guns anywhere alcohol is served ... bars, beer joints, honky tonks.’’
The Maryville Republican acknowledged that it was easy for him to criticize the powerful gun lobby since he’s not running for re-election this year.
Last year’s law was opposed by the state’s police chiefs, sheriffs and restaurant industry. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen vetoed the bill, but both chambers easily voted for an override.
It’s uncertain if Bredesen will approve the legislation.
Nashville Chancellor Claudia Bonnyman ruled in November that the law was “fraught with ambiguity.’’ The previous law sought to exclude establishments that predominantly serve alcohol, but Tennessee makes no legal distinction between bars and restaurants.