Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp plans to sign legislation to end the requirement for a permit to carry a handgun in public
Republican lawmakers from both chambers have approved it constitution transfer law, The Senate on Friday gave him final passage by a vote of 34 to 22. After the vote, Kemp tweeted that he was looking forward to signing the law into law, which he pledged his support for during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign.
Supporters of the measure say Senate Bill 319 strengthens the constitutional right to own and bear arms and protect family and property.
Critics say it’s removing another layer of background checks that register thousands of people who shouldn’t own firearms each year.
The National Rifle Association applauded lawmakers for passing what it called a landmark law as Georgia becomes the 25th state to allow carrying without a permit. Georgians would no longer need to go to the local probate court to obtain permission to wear.
“Today, every state and District of Columbia provides for some form of carrying a firearm outside the home for self-defense, and half the nation recognizes that the Second Amendment protects the right of law-abiding citizens to self-defense an innate and inalienable right,” he said Wayne LaPierre, NRA CEO and executive vice president, in a statement.
“NRA members have spearheaded this extraordinary effort brick by brick in building and expanding America’s self-defense laws, and we’re not done yet!” he added.
Atlanta Democratic Senator Elena Parent has criticized her Republican peers for supporting a bill they argued would protect people from becoming victims of crime but instead simply put guns more easily in the hands of the wrong people would bring.
Parents cited statistics from the Atlanta Police Department that showed more than 2,000 guns were stolen from cars in 2021 and that lax gun laws in Georgia led people to transport guns to states with stricter gun control.
“The proliferation of guns without safeguards makes our streets dangerous and causes so much bloodshed,” she said. “Through our state’s laws, we have taken away the opportunity for law enforcement to try and tackle the gun problem and, by extension, the crime problem.”
Federal law requires licensed gun dealers to conduct background checks on potential buyers to determine if they can legally purchase a firearm. However, unlicensed dealers who sell guns online or privately are not required to complete the same background checks.
Republican Senator Randy Robertson of Cataula said it was time to stop blaming inanimate objects for society’s ills like violent crime.
“I will tell you again why violent crime is on the rise. That’s because mothers, fathers, churches, educational institutions and others have relinquished their responsibility for raising responsible adults,” Robertson said.
Among the other firearms laws that could be passed before the end of the legislative session on Monday is one that would remove gun bans from places of worship and allow churches and other religious institutions to set their own policies. In the meantime, Senate bill 259 would prohibit courts and law enforcement agencies from sharing gun licensing databases with outside organizations.
