COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – The Ohio Supreme Court recently heard arguments in a case that is poised to decide whether people can carry guns while drinking in bars.
At the center of the case is a longstanding state law that prohibits residents from carrying firearms in establishments with on-premises liquor permits, unless they have a valid concealed handgun license, are not intoxicated and do not consume drugs or alcohol while there. The panel agreed to take on the case just over a year ago, after a man named Elijah Striblin argued the law is unconstitutional.
In 2022, Striblin visited a Muskingum County bar called the Lazy River Lounge and had a concealed pistol in his possession. Throughout the evening, he ordered five alcoholic drinks and took a sip of at least one, according to court re