Should the Georgia Legislature Take Up Gun Rights in 2014?

The Georgia General Assembly was not able to pass a sweeping firearms bill that would have allowed gun owners to carry in churches, bars and on school campuses.

A proposal that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses and in bars died on the vine as the 2013 legislative session ended on Thursday. House Bill 512, which garnered much support across the state, sailed through the Georgia House of Representatives. However, its upper chamber counterpart, Senate Bill 101, could not muster enough support to pass before the close of the session. The issue over whether or not to allow firearms on the state's nearly 50 colleges and university campuses brought down the bill. However, supporters of the bill and the campus carry provision are confident the bill will return in 2014.

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Gun Bill Dies in General Assembly

Although the legislation was not voted on before the end of the Georgia General Assembly's legislative session ended Thursday, it may be proposed again in 2014.

The bill that would have allowed firearms to be carried in churches, college campuses, and bars died on the vine at the end of the 2013 Georgia General Assembly legislative session. House Bill 512 easily made it through the State House of Representatives, notably with the support of all Cherokee County legislators in the lower house. Canton's Mandi Ballinger, Woodstock's Michael Caldwell, Marietta's John Carson, Hickory Flat's Calvin Hill, and Holly Springs' Scot Turner voted to support the measure. "Private property owners should be allowed to decide for themselves whether or not to allow guns on their property and not have that decision made for them by government mandate," said Ballinger in a press release last month regarding her yes …

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Guns at Churches, Bars? Cherokee Legislators Say Yes

Georgia State House members who represent Cherokee County all voted in favor of sweeping changes designed to ease gun regulations in Georgia.

Guns at Churches, Bars? Cherokee Legislators Say Yes

Georgia State House members who represent Cherokee County all voted in favor of sweeping changes designed to ease gun regulations in Georgia.

The Georgia House of Representatives by a 2 to 1 margin on Thursday passed a bill that would relax gun regulations in the state, and Cherokee's Republican state legislators in the lower house voted in lockstep in favor of those changes. House Bill 512, which passed with a 117-56 vote, would allow gun owners with a valid Georgia weapons carry license to take firearms in bars, churches, some areas of colleges and universities and onto some unsecured government properties. State Representatives Mandi Ballinger of Canton, Michael Caldwell of Woodstock, John Carson of Marietta, Calvin Hill of Hickory Flat and Scot Turner of Holly Springs, all voted in favor of the legislation.  Tell us: do you support expanding the right to carry firearms in …

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