ATLANTA — As of Tuesday, most Georgians will be allowed to carry concealed handguns without first getting a license from the state.
Making good on a 2018 campaign promise, Gov. Brian Kemp is expected to sign Senate Bill 319, sometimes referred to as "constitutional carry."
SB 319 would allow a "lawful weapons carrier" to carry a concealed handgun everywhere license holders currently are allowed — meaning guns would still be prohibited in places such as the secured areas of airports or government buildings that have security at the entrance, including the state Capitol. A lawful weapons carrier is defined as anyone who is now lawfully allowed to have a gun.
Those who have prior drug convictions, have been convicted of a felony or are facing felony charges, have been treated for mental health or substance abuse issues within the past five years, or have been involuntarily committed to a mental health hospital would still be prohibited from purchasing and possessing handguns.
For years, gun rights advocates have pushed to rid the state of its licensing process, but the proposal picked up steam this year when Kemp — who faces a tough GOP primary fight for reelection — said he supported passing permitless carry legislation.
Kemp endorsed a similar firearms measure during his 2018 campaign, which also featured the headline-grabbing TV ad that showed him pointing a shotgun toward a stammering actor playing as though he wanted to date Kemp's daughter.
In the three years after his election, Kemp did little to push permitless carry at the Legislature, until former U.S. Sen. David Perdue declared he would challenge the governor for the state's highest office. Perdue accused Kemp of being a "career politician who hasn't delivered" for gun rights advocates or backed other cultural issues popular with the party's conservative core.
While pursuing permitless carry is considered a play for GOP voters, a poll by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution earlier this year found that about 70% of Georgia voters polled do not believe Georgians should be allowed to carry a concealed weapon without first obtaining a license. Of those, 54% of respondents who identified as Republican and 60% of those who said they were conservative opposed allowing handguns to be carried without a permit.
Law enforcement officials are split on the idea and declined to take an official stance on the bill as it made its way through the Legislature.
Supporters of the measure say it removes an unnecessary barrier to their constitutional right to carry handguns.
Long guns can already be carried without a license. Georgia has not required training to get a license. There is no waiting period in Georgia when buying a gun. And those who don't have a license must undergo a background check when purchasing guns from stores.
Georgians seeking to carry a concealed handgun have had to apply for a license with their local probate court or sheriff's office (depending on the county), get fingerprinted, submit to a background check, and pay a fee up to $75. When Kemp signs SB 319, that requirement will go away.
Background checks still would be necessary when purchasing a handgun from a store or a dealer.
The state permitting process would remain in place to allow Georgians to take advantage of gun carry "reciprocity" with other states, an agreement that allows gun owners to carry concealed handguns in states that offer the same permissions.
Opponents said Republicans are pushing legislation to remove the handgun licensing process to play to the GOP base. They said the permit process has screened out some who don't have the legal right to carry a gun. Without it, there will be nothing to stop those people from carrying a gun and potentially committing violence.
Some Democrats said removing the licensing requirement could work in their favor in November.
U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath told canvassers at a Gwinnett County park who were preparing to go door-to-door to promote her campaign that Republican-backed "permitless carry" legislation will help motivate more Democrats to vote. McBath, whose teenage son Jordan Davis was fatally shot in 2012 in an argument over loud music, added in an interview that Republicans are embracing the expansion at their own peril.
"Don't be fooled into believing that the American public isn't paying attention," she said. "They see exactly what is happening. And they know who is in favor of protecting their families and their communities. And they know who isn't. And they're going to see the difference at the polls."
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(Atlanta Journal-Constitution staff reporter Greg Bluestein contributed to this report.)
