Gun Control Debate: Georgia Gov. Inks 'Guns Everywhere' Bill; Law Will Go Into Effect In July
On Wednesday, Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signed a controversial pro-gun bill into law that allows concealed carry permit holders to carry guns into some bars, churches, schools, government buildings and certain areas within airports.
Opponents of House 60, or the Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014, call the legislation extreme and have dubbed it the "guns everywhere bill." However, supporters like the National Rifle Association praised the bill, calling it "the most comprehensive pro-gun reform legislation introduced in recent history," reports USA Today.
GeorgiaCarry.org, the group that lobbied for the bill, said the law will "restore our right to carry and be allowed to protect ourselves anywhere we go," according to executive director Jerry Henry.
"Our state has some of the best protections for gun owners in the United States. And today we strengthen those rights protected by our nation's most revered founding document," Deal said while signing the bill on the edge of Georgia's Chattahoochee National Forest and Cohutta Wilderness area, according to CNN.
Starting on July 1, the law allows licensed gun owners in Georgia and visitors from 28 other states to bring a gun into a bar without restrictions and carry a firearm into some government buildings. It also allows school districts to decide whether they want some employees to carry a firearm into classrooms and religious leaders to decide whether to allow gun owners to tote to places of worship. Furthermore, the law removes a restriction that prevented those convicted of some misdemeanors from getting a gun.
Americans for Responsible Solutions, the group co-founded by former Arizona congresswoman Gabby Giffords, called it the nation's most extreme gun bill and said it "moves Georgia out of the mainstream."
In addition, Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America said its "a very, very dangerous kill bill," said their national spokeswoman, Lucia McBath.