Guns allowed in more public places with bill's passage

[sun zoom spark]

Gov. Sonny's quote today: "I hope it's a bill I can sign." Bill sponsor Richardson invoked second amendment rights. Pretty soon you won't need to step outside to settle that dispute, pardner.



By ANDREA JONES
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/04/08

Georgians with weapons permits will be able to carry guns in far more places under a bill that passed both chambers Friday night.

An amended version of House Bill 89 allows holders of concealed weapons permits to carry guns into restaurants, state parks, and on MARTA trains and other public transportation. The legislation, which gun-rights proponents hailed as a major victory, also allows employees to leave weapons in parking lots as long as it's okay with the company.

Andrew Arulanandam, the spokesman for the National Rifle Association, which has been pushing hard for less restrictive gun laws in Georgia for more than two years, called it a "good piece of legislation."

"We're gratified that the bill passed," he said.

But business interests said they were pleased that one key provision of the bill, to permit employees to keep guns in cars parked on company lots, was watered down greatly. The bill gives property owners and those who lease property the right to forbid guns in their lots.

Still, Alice Johnson, of Georgians for Gun Safety, called the bill "deadly legislation."

"It's the most sweeping change in Georgia's history. It's awful," she said. "I think some of the folks who voted for it are going to regret it later."

Earlier this session, the Republican-backed Senate gutted the bill, restricting the guns-in-parking lot provisions. Senators found themselves in a precarious position —- locked between the powerful National Rifle Association that backed the legislation and business leaders who vehemently opposed it.

When it went back to the House, lawmakers amended the bill, expanding it to allow some Georgians to carry guns into churches, sporting events, state parks and public gatherings. Those provisions were stripped out in the final version.

The bill allows permit holders to carry guns into restaurants as long as more then half the profits of the establishment come from food. Those carrying guns are also prohibited from drinking.

The bill also speeds up the process for the renewal of gun permits, requiring probate court judges to respond within two business days following a request.

[RT Atlanta]

1. F-U Sonny

This bill is just "wrong" on so many levels. Even the business community is against this bill. Yet here we are, with seemingly no more important issues in the state, that to deal with where you can carry your gun.

[JmsMac]

6. i carry a gun! proud of it too. (nm)

[aikoaiko]

2. This bill was just signed into law -- and I'm happy about it.

I have gone through the background checks, submitted my fingerprints for records, registered myself with the county, and waited for a Georgia Firearms License.

By and large, people who go through this process are not the ones committing gun violence.

[RubyDuby in GA]

3. You are absolutely correct about people who go through the process, but what about the ones who

don't? And please don't try to tell me that 100 Dirty Harry's in a restaurant will be able to stop anything for it starts. This law was stupid pandering at its finest.

[aikoaiko]

4. The ones that don;t go through the process are still either carrying illegally or not

This law does nothing to stop that.

They may not be able to prevent something before it starts, but they may be able to end it sooner.

I a lot of people don't realize that you could already go to restaurants with your GFL and weapon if it didn't serve alcohol and we still haven't seen anyone with a GFL going crazy.

This new law allows one to enter restaurants that also serve beer and wine (but the GFL holder still cannot drink). This new law also prevents GFL holders from being convicted of leaving their guns in their cars when they go to such a restaurant. Thats right, previous to HB89, one could be arrested for bring a gun to a restaurant even it was left in a car up to 100- 200 yards away.

[JeanGrey]

5. Good. Maybe the next time somebody opens fire in a public

place he'll be taken down before he kills twenty.

[Dogtown]

7. I'm neither anti nor pro gun

I hate the NRA. I have a carry permit. Mostly guns are damned uncomfortable and I don't bother to carry.

A few observations from a mostly neutral party.

This law is an emotional sop to gun-nuts and doesn't alter any reality. If they wanted to be armed at IHOP, they would have been before this law. That's how they're wired.

If they misbehave w/ a firearm, they'll be locked up just as quick as before this law. The misbehavior is still illegal.

In my county, the process for obtaining a permit takes about 15 minutes. Turn-around used to be 1 week. I did a FOIA check on the record keeping in my county 3 years ago. They lead me to an alcove behind the Probate Court and left me with a shelf of "ledgers" of the type sold at K mart for home records.

Each book was inscribed with beginning/ending dates and the hand-scripted legend "Pistol-Toters Book".

I shit you not. "Pistol-Toters Book". Names/addresses/date of application all entered by hand. There is *not*, to my knowledge, a record of the finger-print card that was submitted to the Sheriff's Department with the original application. Fingerprint checks are not re-done with renewals. Renewals are handled strictly by the Probate Court and returned (prior to this legislation) within 1 week, but you are allowed to hold your old permit and the receipt for the renewal to show LEOs in the meantime. No police officer has ever asked me if I was armed or looked at my permit. Ever. Not in 20 years.

It should be noted that in numerous conversations over the years I've found many rural residents do *not* obtain permits; they say they're afraid of being on a government list as "armed". I don't have any idea how many carry sidearms illegally.


My point is that it's probably silly to get too concerned about this law; it isn't really going to change anything.

The "Castle Doctrine" and preemptive self-defense laws we've seen in other states are an entirely different matter. Those laws are recipes for murder.