I’m a cynical cuss sometimes, and I know it. Anything less than real freedom isn’t close to enough for me, and I’m vocal about it. For me though, the touchstone of a free society is how the treat firearms. Ultimately, more gun freedom will ultimately equal other freedom, come hell or high water. Yesterday, Georgia became a lot more free.
One of the primary obstacles with Georgia gun laws was the “public gathering” clause. It ultimately dated from reconstruction as a way to disarm blacks after the Camilla Massacre, and it stuck around like so many other laws designed to disenfranchise the black community. Well, one of the last of the Jim Crow laws is dead.
Yesterday, SB 308 was passed by both the House where it was amended, and by the Senate who accepted the amendment.
The law seems to do some really awesome things, such as:
- Georgia seems to move from a permissive open carry state to a true open carry state. No more permit seems to be required (16-11-126 (b))
- The nebulous concept of what constitutes a “public gathering” that some have argued could be as simple as three people chatting on a sidewalk is gone. In it’s place is a list of specific off-limits places. Those are churches, courthouses, governmental buildings, jails (seems a bit redundant, but whatever), nuclear power facilities, within 150 feet of polling places or mental health facilities. That’s it.
- Bars, previously on the off-limits places outright, are now allowed provided the owner allows.
- Previously, the parking lot of an off-limits place was considered an extension of the place. No longer.
- Previously, the license holder was authorized to carry just firearms, but now it allows knives that were normally not allowed by law
This isn’t everything, but some good moves in the right direction.
This wasn’t without serious discussion. Some legislators argued that this will make children less safe. We heard everything short of the old “blood in the streets” that we usually hear from the anti-gun crowd, despite it not having been true at any other point when they were trotted out.
Most importantly, Georgia’s carry laws just got a lot easier to understand. The public gathering clause was always a thorny situation, one that made it difficult to be law abiding if you carry. After all, the bill listed a series of places but also included the phrase “but not limited to” those locations. Basically, it could be anywhere. Today, that is in effect for it’s final days.
Also making it through this session was SB 291. It allows someone with a minor drug conviction (with provisions), as well as prevents the seizure or registration of lawfully owned firearms during a state of emergency. Remember the footage of gun confiscation in New Orleans after Katrina? This law is designed to prevent that.
All in all, the Georgia gun community can call this session a win. GeorgiaCarry.org had set it’s sights on the public gathering clause (pun fully intended), and they were dead on with their aim.
Some will not be comfortable with the new laws, but there are always some in favor of limiting freedoms that have no impact on others. Don’t worry folks…shooting people without it being self defense is still illegal.
