A bill proposed by Nevada Senate Majority Leader Nicole Cannizzaro would ban firearms on property of any posted casino.
As reported by the Nevada Independent, SB 452 allows for non-restricted gaming license-holders (defined as more than 15 slot machines on property) to opt in to the provisions of the bill, which generally prohibits individuals from bringing firearms onto casino property with certain exemptions.
Businesses would be required to post signage at every public entrance and give law enforcement a seven-day notice before opting in to the bill’s provisions. The bill does grant exemptions to security, active-duty police, gun purchasers at trade shows, and associates.
Cannizzaro said the bill would only provide an enforcement mechanism to casino security by allowing them to call the police and have a person charged with a crime if a person has a gun on property and refuses to leave or surrender the weapon following a verbal warning.
“We are again looking to adapt our state’s legal tools to better protect our hospitality workers and our visitors and guests that traveled to Las Vegas from around the world, this time by ensuring that we can appropriately prevent instances where physical violence may otherwise be a factor,” Cannizzaro said.
MGM Resorts Senior Vice President Ayesha Molino is confident it would allow casinos to avoid violence before it erupts. “As the state’s largest employer, we have a responsibility to keep our employees, our guests, and our customers safe, and ultimately that’s what this is all about,” she said.
The bill is not without its critics. Assemblywoman Shondra Summers said, “We are going to have situations where black folks and brown folks are going to be the ones who are going to be not asked to leave, but who are going to be the ones that the police are called on. I’m very concerned about that, because I have a commitment to my community that I do everything that I can to try and keep them safe.” And she’s not alone.
The American Civil Liberties Union expressed similar concerns, specifically fearful this may be a recipe for disaster on the Strip with increased police presence and interactions involving weapons. “This simply isn’t a bad bill that has good intentions,” Nevada ACLU Executive Director Athar Haseebullah said.
“This simply isn’t a bad bill that has good intentions, this is a deadly bill, with good intentions,” he said.
