Those signs have been there for years, 15 years for sure. Go down the street to St. Matthews Mall and you will see the same. Same at Jefferson Mall in Okolona. Not news. Many, many businesses do this, especially in Jefferson Co. It is not a crime if you are caught but they can demand that you leave. If you refuse you could be charged with trespassing.
Original language from concealed carry law in 1996. KRS 237.110(17):
(17) The owner, business or commercial lessee, or manager of a private business
enterprise, day-care center as defined in KRS 199.894 or certified or licensed family
child-care home as defined in KRS 199.8982, or a health-care facility licensed
under KRS Chapter 216B, except facilities renting or leasing housing, may prohibit
persons holding concealed deadly weapon licenses from carrying concealed deadly
weapons on the premises and may prohibit employees, not authorized by the
employer, holding concealed deadly weapons licenses from carrying concealed
deadly weapons on the property of the employer. If the building or the premises are
open to the public, the employer or business enterprise shall post signs on or about
the premises if carrying concealed weapons is prohibited. Possession of weapons, or
ammunition, or both in a vehicle on the premises shall not be a criminal offense so
long as the weapons, or ammunition, or both are not removed from the vehicle..........
We need to fix all of these signs. For three years KC3 has pushed a bill to get rid of similar signs on city and county buildings. In January we will start a push to get rid of all gun free zones, on both public and private property. We could make these businesses liable for any injury caused by the signs and exempt them from liability if they remove their signs. We could also make them furnish security if they disarm customers. It is going to be quite a fight and we will need everybody's help to get it passed