COLORBEARER OF ATHENS, GEORGIA LOCALLY OWNED SINCE 1987
March 10, 2015

The Guns on Campus Bill Is Back

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Photo Credit: Dede Giddens

Remember the UGA frat boy who got in trouble a couple weeks ago for firing a gun in the air during a beef with a neighboring fraternity? That would be totally legal, if a Georgia lawmaker gets his way.

For the third year in a row, a state legislature has introduced a bill to legalize carrying guns on college campuses. From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

House Bill 544, by Rep. Heath Clark, R-Warner Robins, would allow anyone with a weapons permit to take guns on all parts of public college campuses.

Clark said the bill would not prevent weapons from being carried inside stadiums or fraternity houses as previous attempts to pass campus carry did. That could still change, he said, if the bill receives a committee hearing.

Thank goodness this bill was not in effect last fall, because surely Mike Bobo would be dead.

Last year's bill—which made it into law—was watered down to allow churches to opt in to allow guns, and bars and restaurants where alcohol is served to opt out.

Clark has also introduced a bill that would eliminate firearms permits, instead allowing almost anyone over 21 to carry a gun without any kind of license.

Neither bill seems like it has much chance of passing. Rep. John Meadows (R-Calhoun), who sponsored last year's gun legislation and chairs the powerful Rules Committee, told the AJC he's not interested in bring any gun bills to a vote this year.

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