Georgia: Constitutional Carry Introduced

On 26 January, 2017, six Georgia legislators introduced a bill, HB 156, titled the "Georgia Constitutional Carry Act of 2017."

The bill would do away with prohibitions of carrying arms in parks, historic sites, or recreational areas, and changes references that allow the carry of arms from "license holder" to "lawful weapons carrier".

The bill is 15 pages long, in order to make the numerous changes in Georgia law that are necessary to put the change into effect.

If the bill passes the legislature and is signed by the governor, it would go into effect immediately.

The effect of the bill would be to allow people who may legally possess firearms to carry them in most public places.  The current Georgia carry license is for both open and concealed carry.

The bill would not repeal the existing Georgia carry shall issue law. The law would be left in place for reciprocity between the states, and to act as an alternative for the NICS check to purchase firearms.

 Georgia is one of 25 Republican trifectas.  The Governor is a Republican and there are Republican majorities in both legislative houses.  In the House, the numbers are  62 Democrats, 118 Republicans. In the Senate there are18 Democrats,  38 Republicans.

Governor Nathan Deal was a Democrat until 1995.  Nate Silver of the New York Times rated him the 4th most conservative in the country in 2013.  Governor Deal signed the Safe Carry Protection Act in 2014. It was a significant carry reform bill, in an election year. Governor Deal vetoed Campus Carry in 2016. His second and last term ends in 2018.

Georgia Gun owners says they have over 100,000 signatures on a petition for Constitutional carry in Georgia.

There are 11 states that have Constitutional carry. In 2017, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Texas, Virgina, Utah, and Wisconsin are all considering Constitutional Carry. That list may increase as the year progresses.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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