Georgia: Gun advocates push to loosen laws on carrying

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Gun advocates push to loosen laws on carrying

By Greg Bluestein, Associated Press, found at Athens Banner-Herald

December 30, 2009

ATLANTA - Georgia lawmakers could consider vast changes to the state's firearms laws, including a push to allow gun owners with permits to carry concealed weapons at new places, from churches to school zones to college campuses.

A flurry of gun-related proposals could be on the docket during next year's legislative session, including a sweeping overhaul that would allow the estimated 300,000 Georgians with gun permits to carry their weapons to more public gatherings.

Gun-rights advocates also are trying to breathe new life into a proposal that would allow licensed gun owners to carry weapons in parts of Georgia's airports and give them more leeway to have their weapons on Atlanta's mass-transit system.

"There's a definite need in the state of Georgia to clarify that law," said state Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, the chamber's majority whip. "When I talk to law enforcement officers who aren't necessarily clear on how to enforce it, that means to me we need a clearer law."

Advocates of change will face stiff opposition from opponents who argue that tinkering with gun laws could lead to more violence. And supporters will have to fight for attention from legislative leaders who likely will focus on balancing the budget, promoting economic development and waging a war on traffic.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who said in the run-up to the last session he has "no appetite" for loosening the state's concealed-weapons laws, said balancing the budget and providing more jobs are again at the top of his agenda for next year's legislative session.

Still, gun-rights advocates plan a spirited push to build on a 2008 measure that allowed those with permits to carry firearms in state parks, restaurants that serve alcohol and mass-transit vehicles. And they hope to reword parts of the state law after two decisions by federal judges struck a blow to their cause.

The first legal feud involved whether the new rules applied to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest. City officials quickly declared the airport a "gun-free zone" after the law took effect and warned that anyone carrying a gun there would be arrested.

Gun-rights group Georgia Carry.org sued the city and the airport, saying it qualifies as public transportation under the new law. But a federal judge disagreed and dismissed the lawsuit, and a federal appeals panel upheld that decision a few months later.

The firearms lobby was dealt another setback this month when a federal judge ruled that Atlanta's mass-transit system had the authority to stop and question a Georgia man who was seen carrying a gun at a train station.

Both rulings infuriated gun advocates, who said they would seek to specifically spell out that "public transportation" extends to both airports and train stations.

The gun law proposals also seek to go further, including eliminating a restriction that bans gun owners with permits from carrying at public gatherings. That ban now extends to bars, sporting events, political rallies and churches.

Critics, meanwhile, said they worry liberal gun laws could give rise to vigilante justice and jeopardize the public's safety.

Alice Johnson of Georgians for Gun Safety said she was particularly concerned the proposal would allow permitted gun owners to carry their weapons at college campuses and school zones.

"It's an accident waiting to happen," Johnson said. "The idea that we somehow don't have to use law enforcement as the reliable source of public safety and that everybody could just pack heat themselves is not foolproof. These people are not qualified to protect the public safety."

Associated Press writer Shannon McCaffrey contributed to this report

http://www.onlineathens.com/stories/123009/new_540812840.shtml

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Proposed gun law changes spark debate

By Jim Wallace, WALB News TV10

Dec 30, 2009

ALBANY, GA (WALB) –Georgia lawmakers will soon debate major changes to the state's firearm laws. One proposal would allow licensed gun owners to carry their weapons almost anywhere including school zones, college campuses, churches, and parts of airports.

Supporters say that more gun owners licensed to carry concealed weapons would lower the crime rate. Opponents argue that letting more people carry guns almost everywhere would lead to more violence. Legislators say they need to clarify and balance Georgia's gun laws.

One thing for certain, more Georgians are buying guns and getting permits so they can carry concealed guns for protection.

Dougherty County Sheriff Kevin Sproul said "We see more and more people in their 50 to 60 year old brackets, coming in to get guns, to get permits for them to carry weapons."

The National Association of Chiefs of Police report that nationally guns sales soared 30 percent in 2009. Phillip Colson said gun sales at Solo Archery were way up, with customers wanting to protect themselves from rampant crime.

Colson said "That's what I've seen in my lifetime. The more readily available firearms there are, the less crime there is going to be."

Sheriff Kevin Sproul supports Second Amendment rights, but said law enforcers want to see the legislation spelled out before any changes are made to Georgia carry laws.

Sheriff Sproul said "Right now we don't see a major problem in that area. But I do understand the concerns of both sides. I have some concerns."

Colson said the idea of a gun free zone is a joke, because the bad guys still have their guns.

Colson said "The only thing a gun free zone does is establish that a law abiding person like yourself or like me won't carry a gun there. The bad guys got to be bad guys because they don't pay attention to laws to start with."

Colson said that if crooks have to worry if people are armed, they will be less likely to make them crime victims. Opponents say tinkering with state gun laws could lead to more violence.

Many South Georgians have let it be known they believe they should be able to carry a concealed gun, because of the thousands of people who have bought weapons and got licenses to carry them. Now we'll see how state legislators vote.

Supporters know they'll have to fight for attention from legislative leaders who are more likely to focus on balancing the budget and economic development.

http://www.walb.com/Global/story.asp?S=11749133