Regina Quick

Oconee County’s two members of the Georgia House of Representatives voted with the Republican majority on Tuesday to pass an omnibus gun bill that would allow, among other things, licensed holders of guns to enter county government buildings that do not have security restrictions in place.

The bill is wide ranging, dealing with the rights of persons to carry guns in a variety of settings.

Chuck Williams

The Association County Commissioners of Georgia is opposing provisions of the bill, including those dealing with access to government buildings and others that would prevent law enforcement officials from detaining a person with a weapon to determine if that person has a license to carry the weapon.

The bill allows any individual or organization, whether aggrieved or not, to sue a county alleging that the county is regulating or attempting to regular weapons and places the burden of bringing, trying and defending the lawsuit on county taxpayers. ACCG wants this provision changed.

The bill, now before the Senate, also would reduce to a misdemeanor with a maximum fine of $100 the carrying of a weapon onto the University of Georgia campus, the Oconee County campus of University of North Georgia or other campuses around the state.

State Rep. Regina Quick (R-Athens), as well as Rep. Chuck Williams (R-Watkinsville), were joined by 117 others in passing the bill. Rep. Spencer Frye (D-Athens) voted against it.

For more, go to Oconee County Observations.