House Bill 792, nicknamed “campus carry lite”, passed the Georgia state House of Representatives on February 23 in a 117-46 vote. However, it excludes athletic facilities and excludes student housing.
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House Bill 827, the “Pursuing Justice for Rape Victims Act”, sponsored by Rep. Scott Holcomb, D-Atlanta, and co-sponsored by Rep. Taylor Bennett, D-Brookhaven, unanimously passed in the House Chamber this afternoon with a vote of 160-0.
Georgia’s House Speaker David Ralston said he anticipates the bill passing when it moves on to the Senate.
“In addition to the question of public safety, a weapon in a classroom environment is antithetical to the idea and mission of post-secondary education”, Trammell said. Georgia State University in Athens has been the scene in January of at least three armed robberies. The legislation, known as House Bill 8569, will now move on to the state Senate.
“We have heard entirely too many stories recently of Georgia’s students being robbed and held at gunpoint with no way of defending themselves because of the existing laws on our college campuses”, Ballinger said.
But Trammell said there is no data showing that campuses would be safer if students were allowed to carry weapons.
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The bill would allow anyone with a state license to carry a gun to enter university or college campuses owned by the state with a concealed handgun. Schools such as the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia, and Georgia Tech in Atlanta have launched online petitions in response to the bill.
