ATLANTA -- Georgia lawmakers could consider vast changes to the state's firearm laws, including a push to allow gunowners with permits to carry their concealed weapons at a range of new areas, from churches to school zones to college campuses.
A flurry of gun-related proposals could be on the docket during next year's legislative session, including a sweeping overhaul that would allow the estimated 300,000 Georgians with gun permits to carry their weapons to more public gatherings.
Gun rights advocates are also trying to breathe new life into a proposal that would allow licensed gun owners to carry weapons in parts of Georgia's airports and give them more leeway to have their weapons on Atlanta's mass transit system.
"There's a definite need in the state of Georgia to clarify that law," said state Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, the chamber's majority whip. "When I talk to law enforcement officers who aren't necessarily clear on how to enforce it, that means to me we need a clearer law."
They will face stiff opposition from opponents who argue that tinkering with gun laws could lead to more violence. And supporters will have to fight for attention from legislative leaders who will likely focus on balancing the budget, promoting economic development and waging a war on traffic.
Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who said in the run-up to the last session he has "no appetite" for loosening the state's concealed weapons laws, said balancing the budget and providing more jobs are again at the top of his agenda for next year.
Incoming House Speaker David Ralston also said that while he's a strong supporter of gun rights, adopting a solid state spending plan will take priority.
"I'm not sure that this is a pressing issue right now," he said of overhauling gun restrictions.
Still, gun rights advocates plan a spirited push to build on a 2008 measure that allowed those with permits to carry firearms in state parks, restaurants that serve alcohol and mass transit. And they hope to reword parts of the state law after two decisions by federal judges struck a blow to their cause.
The first legal feud involved whether the new rules applied to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest. City officials quickly declared the airport a "gun-free zone" after the law took effect and warned that anyone carrying a gun there would be arrested.
Gun rights group GeorgiaCarry.org sued the city and the airport, saying it qualifies as public transportation under the new law. But a federal judge disagreed and dismissed the lawsuit, and a federal appeals panel upheld that decision a few months later.
The firearms lobby was dealt another setback in December when a federal judge ruled that Atlanta's mass transit system had the authority to stop and question a Georgia man who was seen carrying a gun at a train station. The gunowner had argued the 2008 law allowed him to do so.
Both rulings infuriated gun advocates, who said they would seek to specifically spell out that "public transportation" extends to both airports and train stations.
"The state law is very clear and for some reason we have some legislating from the bench," said state Rep. Tim Bearden, a Villa Rica Republican who sponsored the gun law. "It's all laid out in the legislation."
The proposals also seek to go further, including eliminating a restriction that bans gunowners with permits from carrying at public gatherings. That ban now extends to bars, sporting events, political rallies and churches.
It's being pitched as a way to bring clarity to Georgia's often confusing gun laws with a list of places where gunowners cannot bring their weapons. The draft proposal's list of such places is short: Jails, prisons and courthouses.
"Georgians deserve a clear and concise law that puts all of the off-limits places into one clear list so you don't need to hire a lawyer to figure out if you're legal or not," said Ed Stone, the president of GeorgiaCarry.org.
Critics, meanwhile, said they worry it could give rise to vigilante justice and jeopardize the public's safety. Alice Johnson of Georgians for Gun Safety said she was particularly concerned that the proposal would allow permitted gun owners to carry their weapons at college campuses and school zones.
"It's an accident waiting to happen," said Johnson. "The idea that we somehow don't have to use law enforcement as the reliable source of public safety and that everybody could just pack heat themselves is not foolproof. These people are not qualified to protect the public safety."
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