Georgia Legislation

[PegLeg45]

Current legislation in the GA General Assembly:

http://www.legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20132014/SB/101

SB-101

Removes ability of public housing to restrict resident's firearm unless required by federal law.
Removes state law regarding the licensing of firearm dealers (would still be federal).
Georgia would accept any carry license issued by another state.
Amended to add SB 74 (18-20 with military training can get a license) and SB 197 (The state cannot create a licensee database, record are confidential).

Also:

Unless it gets amended, there is also a provision to remove the CCW restriction in places of worship with permission from the individual place of worship.

(b) Except as provided in Code Section 16-11-127.1 and subsection (d) or (e) of this Code
70 section, a A person shall be guilty of carrying a weapon or long gun in an unauthorized
71 location and punished as for a misdemeanor when he or she carries a weapon or long gun
72 while:
73 (1) In a government building;
74 (2) In a courthouse;
75 (3) In a jail or prison;
76 (4) In a place of worship, unless the administrative board of such place of worship
77 permits the carrying of weapons or long guns by license holders;

Wants to allow CCW in gov't buildings except in areas covered at the entrances by security.

(e) A license holder shall be authorized to carry a weapon in a government building where
115 ingress into such building is not restricted or screened by security personnel during the
116 hours the government building is open for business.

Would also allow military persons aged 18-20 to get CCW permit.

No weapons carry license shall be issued to:
296 (A) Any person under younger than 21 years of age unless he or she:
297 (i) Is at least 18 years of age;
298 (ii) Provides proof that he or she has completed basic training in the armed forces of
299 the United States; and
300 (iii) Provides proof that he or she is actively serving in the armed forces of the United
301 States or has been honorably discharged from such service

Current status:
Passed the Senate's Judiciary Non-Civil Committee
Passed in the Senate as Amended
Currently in the House's Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee


http://www.georgiapacking.org/bills.php

[Solus]

Are we just seeing more of this than we used to or has the current Hoplophobia Epidemic precipitated a rash of counter reactions?

[PegLeg45]

Several states are decidedly trying to stay ahead of the curve.

I'm hoping this is a trend that continues.


I also hope this makes it through and the Gov signs it.....even though he has, at times, hinted at "going with the mainstream anti crowd"  of late (maybe the flood of calls and emails quenched that fire)..... It would be nice to not have to un-pack just to go into the tag office or the tax office......... and our church just established a security team and the only member that can legally carry is the team leader, who happens to be a SO deputy. I'm not saying I would 100% carry in church, but it would be nice to have the option.

[PegLeg45]

From Georgia Gun Owners, Inc.:

Yesterday, on the floor of the Georgia House, Representative Charles Gregory (R-Kennesaw) used a parliamentary procedure to bring a pro-gun amendment to the floor that would fix "opt in" language and other problems in SB 101. His amendment would have repealed state prohibitions on carrying firearms in places of worship, college campuses and bars (private property).
Please watch the video below to watch how it all went down.
Republican leaders actively urged members to vote against the motion.

[PegLeg45]

From Ga Gun Owners, Inc.:

TAKE ACTION!

We continue to hear from sources at the Capitol that Governor Deal and Republican leadership are driving the stake through the heart of what you've have been INSISTING upon for months -- an up or down vote on repealing off-limits locations for gun owners -- Criminal Safe Zones.

Your grassroots action today is simple -- email the following individuals and let them know that any compromise of your gun rights -- "opt in" language, mandatory training, fees, mental health mandates or any other compromises will be scored as anti-gun:

john.meadows@house.ga.gov
alanpowell23@hotmail.com
barry@barryloudermilk.com
frank.ginn@senate.ga.gov
rick.jasperse@house.ga.gov
cecil.staton@senate.ga.gov

Also let them know that you are watching their actions closely.

https://www.facebook.com/gagunowners

[Sponsor]

[PegLeg45]

Well, just heard a report on the local news that the bill is dead for this year. Both 'sides' were in agreement to allow local school systems to decide on armed educators in schools, and to allow individual churches to allow CCW, but they kept butting heads and couldn't agree on CCW on college campuses and they tabled it until next year.

 

March 29, 2013

Dear GCO Member,

GCO would like to thank all members who did stellar work to keep SB101 alive with hopes of passage before the final gavel last night. SB101 failed to garner a vote after a long delay, which lasted most of the day yesterday. The delay was engineered in the Senate in that the Senate Conference Committee Members would not sit down and meet with the House Conference Committee Members until approximately 6:00 PM last evening. When Senator Frank Ginn presented the signed Senate Conference Committee Report, the report was totally unacceptable. Campus Carry had been removed and a provision had been inserted that would allow law enforcement officers to stop anyone carrying a firearm and demand to see their license. Not only was that item unacceptable, it was also unconstitutional! Keep in mind that all three Senate Conference Committee Members had signed the unconstitutional Conference Committee Report.

At the time the signed Senate Conference Committee Report was presented, Chairman Alan Powell accused the Senate of delaying and allowing the time to expire so they would not have to vote on the bill. Senator Frank Ginn disagreed with Chairman Alan Powell but he was not nearly as animate as Chairman Powell was. The consensus of the GCO members present agreed with Chairman Powell.

There was no further action until 10:45 PM when the Senate returned the House Conference Committee Report, signed by 2 of the 3 Senate CCM. The other member, Senator Cecil Staton had left the building. The Senate had claimed all along that all 3 Senate CCM had entered into a caucus agreement and all Senate CCM would have to sign the Conference Committee Report or it would not be valid. Apparently they waived that stipulation and returned the signed Conference Committee Report to House with only 1 hour and 15 minutes left.

When a Conference Committee Report is signed by a majority of members, the Conference Committee Report is sent to each house. Copies have to be made for each member (180 copies for the House and 56 for the Senate) and those copies must be on each member's desk for 1 hour prior to the bill being presented. That means if the House and Senate had been able to print 236 copies in 10 minutes and gotten them on each member's desk. they would have about 5 minutes to present, discuss and vote on the bill.

The rules can be suspended, but it takes a 2/3 majority of the House and a 3/4 majority by the Senate, certainly not the easiest task of the day. The Conference Committee Report also contained training requirements for persons 21-25 years old in order for them to carry on campus. The training provision, added by the Senate, was totally unacceptable to many of the conservative House members and would have possibly failed had a vote been held. If it had passed, it would have been a very slim majority that passed the bill. The vote would have been nowhere near the 117 and 116 that had voted for the bill both times it was brought before the House.

In the end it appears that the taxpayer funded Board of Regents spent enough of your money to win this round and there was certainly no effort to allow an up or down vote on campus carry. An up or down vote would have allowed the citizens of Georgia to learn via a recorded vote which Senators actually believe in the second amendment of both the US and Georgia Constitution they are sworn to uphold and which Senators don't. This was certainly not a great way to end our state's constitutionally defined General Assembly session.

WSB's political analyst, Bill Crane is currently reporting that Governor Nathan Deal worked behind the scenes to kill the Campus Carry bill.

This update would not be complete without noting that last night during the General Assembly there was an attempted robbery on the Georgia Tech campus. So much for the "our present policy is working" statements from the Board of Regents. The members of the Board of Regents were smiling as they left the Capitol last night.

Again, thanks to all who went above and beyond the call to try to pass SB101 and HB512 as well.

Please keep in mind that the signed Conference Committee Report on SB101 is still alive when the General Assembly opens for business January 13, 2014. And we will be there to remind them both bills are available and need to be acted upon. And, we expect the same opposition we faced this year. One difference is that one or both bills will have to be acted upon or they will die at the end of the 2014 session. Shortly after the General Assembly ends, the campaign for reelection for all offices begin. Keep in mind that includes all 180 House Members, all 56 Senate Members, the Lt. Governor and the Governor.