Georgia lawmakers passed campus carry legislation early Friday morning, which now heads to Gov. Nathan Deal’s (R) desk for a signature.
This is not the first time campus carry has been sent to Deal’s desk. The Georgia House passed campus carry on February 22, 2016, and the state’s Senate followed suit on March 11. Deal campaigned for campus carry as it moved from House to Senate, only to do an about-face and veto it on May 3.
The point of contention in 2016 was that law-abiding concealed carry permit holders would be able to carry their guns into on-campus daycare facilities. Such facilities have been exempted this year in hopes of appeasing Deal and securing his signature. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that other exemptions “include dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, and buildings used for athletic events.”
On March 28, Breitbart News spoke with Georgia Carry’s executive director, Jerry Henry, about the legislation. He said, “This is not the bill we wanted, but it is a step in the right direction. It will decriminalize carrying a firearm on a college or university campus. It moves the ball a little further down the road.”
Deal is playing his cards close to his vest this time. He has not indicated whether he plans to sign the legislation or veto it again.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson of Arkansas signed campus carry into law on March 22, bringing the total number of campus carry states to ten.
AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.