Georgia State Senate Passes Permitless Carry Bill

Bill moves on to House

WALKER CO., Ga. — On Monday, the Georgia State Senate passed Bill 319, which would allow eligible people in Georgia to carry a handgun without a license or permit.

The bill is an example of constitutional carry legislation, which Governor Brian Kemp vowed to support moving into 2022.

“It goes back to the fundamentals of the constitution. Most people believe we’re infringing on their right to carry a gun, and we created over the years a layering of laws — one law gets passed and another gets passed, that tweaks this and tweaks that — and what we’ve got to go back and do is clear the air and kind of clear the field, and say you’ve got a fundamental right to carry guns,” said District 1 Representative Mike Cameron.

In removing the need for a permit, the law also removes the need for a background check.

Some who oppose the bill believe this will increase the risk of gun deaths.

But, in Walker County, Sheriff Steve Wilson doesn’t think the law would pose a threat to law-abiding citizens or law enforcement.

“It’s going to take away the licensing aspect of the carry, and I’m good with that. You know, I don’t see that that’s going to impact the law-abiding citizens, at all,” said Wilson.

While people in Georgia will no longer need a background check to carry a handgun, they’ll still need one at the gun store.

“This bill still allows for the background check when someone buys a weapon at a licensed firearm dealer, so there will be background checks run on people when they buy a new firearm,” Wilson added.

Currently, 21 States, including Tennessee, have constitutional carry laws.