AG Eric Holder calls Georgia's SB291 "very worrisome"

[ericire12]

http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atlanta-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m5d7-US-Attorney-General-Eric-Holder-calls-SB-291-very-worrisome

The United States Attorney General, Eric Holder, testified yesterday at a Senate Subcommittee about the New York terrorism incident.  During the hearing, he mentioned that Georgia's SB 291, currently awaiting signature by the Governor, is "very worrisome" to him because he fears it might permit terrorists to seize an airliner.

And he was being serious.

SB 291 is a bill that has express language about carrying in the public areas of Georgia's airports, such as the parking lots, baggage claim, and rotunda of Hartsfield.  It does not have any effect on the areas under federal control.  Essentially, SB 291 would bring Georgia's law into line with 40 other states on this issue.

[PegLeg45]

Not meaning to hi-jack the thread, Eric...just adding the other bill to your thread because they are basically linked as positive moves for Ga gun owners.
We also have another bill waiting on the Governor to sign that would clarify several gray areas in the public gathering laws and such. SB308.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atlanta-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m1d12-GA-Bills-SB-308-The-Common-Sense-Lawful-Carry-Act




I just wrote the Governor to urge his support and signature.

http://www.examiner.com/x-5619-Atlanta-Gun-Rights-Examiner~y2010m5d5-Two-gun-bills-on-Georgia-Governors-desk




As a side note, the NRA flip-flopped on the bill over petty politics as posted on the Sig Forum:
FTP:

Anyone from the NRA-ILA here on sigforum? I have to kind of put myself in camp with a bunch of Georgia legislators. Meaning, I'm sitting here scratching my head and wondering WTF.

Maybe someone from GCO can help me out? What in the world is going on down there?

http://www.examiner.com/x-5619...aw-reform-in-Georgia

    quote:
    NRA at odds with gun law reform in Georgia
    April 30, 10:25 PM · Ed Stone - Atlanta Gun Rights Examiner

    Georgia Capitol Building

    When members of the General Assembly decided to pass a bill to repeal Georgia's 140 year old public gathering law on Thursday night, they were confused by the irony of the largest gun rights group in the nation opposing the reform.

    SB 308 passed the General Assembly late on the last day of the session. The final version removed two provisions that had been in the bill earlier decriminalizing the carry of weapons by licensed persons in churches and on college campuses. Under the final version, these two locations will remain illegal for carry.

    The surprise came when the nation's largest and oldest gun rights lobby, the National Rifle Association, began lobbying against the bill. Earlier in the evening, the NRA had pushed legislators to add language expressly permitting the carry of weapons in airports. This language is already in a bill, SB 291, that the General Assembly passed earlier in the session. SB 291 is awaiting the Governor's signature. The NRA informed legislators that voting in favor of SB 308 without the amendment would be a "scorecard issue," meaning that the NRA would be using the vote against legislators in its ratings. In other words, legislators who voted to remove Georgia's restrictive public gathering law would be punished in ratings from the NRA.

    The proposed amendment was never added to SB 308. When the NRA was rebuffed on its proposed amendment, it then began lobbying aggressively against the bill. The local civil rights group GeorgiaCarry.Org was at the Capitol lobbying for SB 308 to pass.

    During the Senate debate, Sen. Steve Thompson stood in the well and read from GeorgiaCarry.Org's letter supporting SB 308. Calling GeorgiaCarry.Org's statement that it was tracking the SB 308 vote a "threat," Sen. Thompson reminded the Senators that they had "cover" to vote against the bill, since the NRA was not in favor. Nan Orrock also mentioned the NRA's opposition. Even the bill's author, Mitch Seabaugh, conceded that "the NRA . . . has issues with the legislation . . . I really am flummoxed . . ."

    The debate was broadcast online at Georgia Public Broadcasting, and the archives are still there, which makes it all the stranger that the NRA-ILA is now claiming that it never opposed the bill. The NRA-ILA has directly called into question the credibility of three Georgia Senators and Georgia Public Broadcasting.

    From Georgia Public Broadcasting,

    The NRA was not in favor of the final bill.

    NRA-ILA issued the following statement to an NRA member seeking an explanation.

    Steve Thompson & Nan Orrock are anti-gun, D & F rated legislators. There statements are absolutely false. I would reconsider your sources.
    Your third “source” is invalid, as Seabaugh never stated the NRA was against SB 308.


    The problem with these statements are the multitude of witnesses at the Capitol that saw what the NRA was doing. Knowledge of NRA opposition to SB 308 on Thursday evening is not limited to two Senators with low NRA ratings.

    A disappointed Chuck Turney resigned from the NRA this morning. A retired Marine now living in Georgia, Chuck was a top recruiter for the NRA, but seeing the group oppose a repeal of Georgia's public gathering law caused him to rethink his dedication to the group he had loved for decades.

    Up until this morning I was a NRA Endowment Life Member and Recruiter. That 30+ year relationship ended because of the actions of the NRA last night. Now if I could only recover the time and money I have wasted all these years!

    The Georgia firearms law and politics discussion and information web site, www.Georgiapacking.org, removed large links to the NRA membership page that had been displayed prominently at the bottom of every page for years. The links were visible early this morning but are now gone.

    NRA members in Georgia are hoping that the NRA will repent by publicly encouraging the Governor to sign SB 308. In spite of Thursday's flap, GeorgiaCarry.Org has already sent mass emails to its members asking them to request that Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue sign SB 291, the NRA bill that passed earlier in the session. James Camp, a GeorgiaCarry.Org Board member and a founding member, said of the NRA's bill, "It is a good bill, and [GeorgiaCarry.Org] fully supports it. We are not playing any games over this issue. We definitely want the Governor to sign both bills."



   UPDATE: The NRA-ILA alert sent recently urged members to encourage the Governor to sign both SB 291 and SB 308. The relevant text follows:

    GEORGIA: Two Pro-Gun Bills Heading to the Governor! Two important pro-gun bills (Senate Bill 291 and Senate Bill 308) have both successfully passed and will now head to Governor Sonny Perdue's (R) desk for his consideration. SB291 would allow a person lawfully licensed to carry a concealed firearm the right to carry in all non-secure areas and while dropping off or picking up passengers at an airport or airport facility. Also included in the bill is a provision that would make the license renewal process much easier by basically creating an automatic renewal. Instead of the licensee having to remember to renew, the probate court will be required to send out renewals 90 days before expiration. SB308 would reform Georgia's concealed carry laws so that the concealed carry license would enable the person to carry any handgun or knife, openly or concealed. SB 308 would also allow concealed carry license holders to carry in more places by repealing the broad and vague "public gathering ban." Please begin contacting Governor Perdue today by phone at (404) 656-1776 or via email by clicking here and respectfully urge him to sign these important concealed carry reform bills.

http://sigforum.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/320601935/m/6430093012

http://www.georgiacarry.org/


The very fact that a sitting USAG could be worried that a state wishes to allow it's lawful citizens to further exercise their natural rights appalls me to no end.

[tt11758]

I find Eric Holder "very worrisome".

[JC5123]

I have always felt that airports especially, should allow anyone with a CCW to carry. Not knowing who on any given flight is armed would be a huge deterrent. Think about how things could have been very different on 9-11 if even one passenger had been armed on those planes. I know someone will use the argument that you will shoot a hole in the plane and decompression, but I promise you, it doesn't work that way. If you shoot a hole in a plane, all that happens is that you make a hole in the plane. A wad of gum will fix it till you land. The big concern is collateral damage. Are you willing to take a shot that will probably injure, maybe kill an innocent?

[ericire12]

The big concern is collateral damage. Are you willing to take a shot that will probably injure, maybe kill an innocent?

I bet the people on those planes on Sept 11th were.

[Sponsor]

[Hazcat]

I find Eric Holder "very worrisome".

+1

[Solus]

I bet the people on those planes on Sept 11th were.

Let's Roll

[Fatman]

Are you willing to take a shot that will probaby injure, maybe kill an innocent?

Big assumption as to 'probably'. 'Could' or 'may' is more like it for injure also. As the stakes have been raised by the terrorists to killing everyone on a plane, and  a bunch more on the ground to boot, I'd take the shot w/o flinching.  Because if I don't, the USAF will.

[PegLeg45]

UPDATE:

SB 308 which gives clearer understanding of the (clarification and better wording) and opens up more areas you can CCW was not signed by the Governor by the Senate time limit of 4 June 2010, therefore it went into full effect, due to a lack of veto by the Governor (per Ga law).

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/search/sb308.htm



SB 291 (from the OP), allowing freer carry areas at airports and non-federal areas of airports, was vetoed by Gov. Perdue on 8 June 2010.

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2009_10/search/sb291.htm

[crusader rabbit]

+1

+ ANOTHER 1