The Georgia House is weighing legislation to end the state’s requirement that law-abiding citizens acquire a permit from the state in order to carry a handgun for self-defense.
The legislation, House Bill 110, is sponsored by five Republican State Reps and one Democrat. Those Reps. are Clark Heath (R), Steve Tarvin (R), Emory Donahoo (R), Joseph Gullet (R) , Danny Mathis (R), and Mike Glanton (D).
The text of HB110 says:
To amend Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 3 of Title 12, Title 16, and Title 27 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to general provisions regarding parks, historic areas, memorials, and recreation, crimes and offenses, and game and fish, respectively, so as to allow persons who are eligible for a weapons carry license to lawfully carry a weapon without such license.
The push to eliminate the concealed permit requirement in Georgia comes on the heels of Utah and Montana eliminating their respective requirements, bringing the total number of states with no requirement to 18. Those states are: Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
On November 21, 2018, First Coast News reported then Governor-Elect Brian Kemp supported the elimination of the concealed carry permit requirement in Georgia. In early 2019, Kemp reaffirmed his support for eliminating the requirement when asked about constitutional carry during an interview with 13WMAZ.
Kemp said, “My positions from the campaign have not changed.”
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.