By Ashley Speagle
Correspondent
ATLANTA -- Lawmakers continue to debate a bill that supporters say would protect citizens from punishment for disobeying confusing gun-carry laws and opponents say would threaten Georgians' safety, especially on college campuses.
Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, is sponsor of the bill that aims to clarify where licensed owners can carry their handguns.
PDF: Senate Bill 308
"What we're trying to do is remove the 'gotcha' situations," Sen. Seabaugh said. "We have many situations where law-abiding citizens unknowingly can commit a crime and can have their life ruined forever."
But Rep. Sharon Cooper, R-Marietta, called cowboy boot-wearing Sen. Seabaugh's efforts a step back into the Wild West for Georgia.
The Senate version would limit the right to carry in seven specific places and allow owners of bars or officials of sporting events, churches and colleges to decide their own policies on guns.
"Right now, we have 400,000 individuals licensed to legally carry in the state of Georgia," Sen. Seabaugh said Thursday. Those people are asking General Assembly to "clarify it so we can properly obey the law," he said.
The Senate passed the bill last month, 41-12. A House committee is reviewing it before a vote by the full House.
Northwest Georgia senators Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga; Sen. Preston Smith, R-Rome; and Sen. Don Thomas, R-Dalton, all voted for the bill.
Some education officials on Thursday opposed discretionary gun policies on campuses.
The Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia insists on retaining current campus gun bans, according to Senior Vice Chancellor Tom Daniels.
"We believe that the current law clearly and unequivocally bans guns on or within 1,000 feet of a Board of Regents campus," he said.
Mr. Daniels said if the state ban of guns on campuses was overturned, any Board of Regents ban would have less effect.
Dalton State College public relations director Jane Taylor said all universities, including Dalton State, agreed to this position.
However, some lawmakers said they support property owners' choice over state regulations on guns. Some said universities that do allow guns will increase student safety.
GUNS ON CAMPUS24: States ban guns on college campuses, including licensed carriers15: States allow college campuses to decide whether they allow guns1: State (Utah) that allows guns on all public college campusesSource: Students for Concealed Carry on CampusSTATE GUN LAWS40: States allowing concealed carry of guns8: States allowing concealed carry on need basis2: States banning all concealed carry of gunsSource: Students for Concealed Carry on Campus
"There's about as many people being killed in churches and schools as in bars these days, and the people that are in there have no defense," said Rep. Tom Knox, R-Cumming.
But a police officer said average, untrained citizens could not effectively protect others just because they carry a gun.
"In a classroom, you're introducing a weapon into an extremely densely populated area," said Craig Watson, Emory University's chief of police. "The risk of accidental shooting or inability to effectively use your weapon on the intended target is significantly increased."
Rep. Cooper said she assumes that students would not safely react with a gun during a state of pandemonium, such as the April 16, 2007, shootings at Virginia Tech.
"Had some of the students had guns (at Virginia Tech), there would have been bullets flying everywhere, and many more students would've been injured," said Rep. Cooper, a psychiatric nurse.
Another guns bill is on track for a House vote also that would allow guns in airports.
Ashley Speagle covers the Georgia Legislature. Contact her at speagle.ashley@timesfreepress.com.
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