Deal weighs in on passed ‘campus carry' bill
ATLANTA - Georgia’s governor expressed his concerns Monday on the so-called ‘campus carry’ bill, which would allow licensed gun owners to carry concealed weapons on public college campuses.
Both the House and the Senate have already approved House Bill 859.
Governor Deal’s office released the following statement:
“As a lifetime defender and staunch supporter of Second Amendment rights, Gov. Deal has signed every pro-gun bill to reach his desk. However, he believes legitimate points have been made in regards to certain aspects of the ‘campus carry’ bill and he calls on the General Assembly to address these concerns in related legislation before Sine Die. Specifically, these areas of concern include dually enrolled k-12 students who leave school to attend classes at a university or technical college campus, as well as daycare centers on these same campuses. Deal also believes the governing boards of universities and technical colleges should have the discretion to set reasonable rules regarding disciplinary hearings and faculty and administrative offices. Addressing these issues is an important step in ensuring the safety and freedoms of students, faculty and staff in our institutions of higher learning throughout our state.”
Sen. Elena Parent, D-Decatur, who opposed the bill applauded the Governor's statement. She spoke against the bill during debate in the senate last week. Sen. Parent wanted to amend HB 859 to exclude on-campus daycare centers.
"It's a shame that even though these concerns were absolutely highlighted that the senate--the majority caucus chose to take no action on any amendments and in fact, eliminated the opportunity to even present them," said Sen. Parent. "I'm pleased that the Governor has obviously identified and agreed that there are some very serious concerns with this legislation."
With just a few days left in the legislative session, it is too late for lawmakers to draft a new bill. Instead, they must try to address Deal's concerns by adding language to another gun-related piece of legislation. Governor Deal would then be able to sign HB 859 into law first and the "fix-it" bill second so that the newer bill would take precedent.
House Speaker David Ralston released his own statement about an hour after the Governor's, saying:
“Rep. [Rick] Jasperse and Rep. [Mandi] Ballinger have thoughtfully considered all feedback offered on the Campus Safety Act (HB 859) as it moved through the legislative process. I certainly take any concerns Governor Deal raises seriously, but now that the bill is on his desk and with only four days remaining in the legislative session, time is of the essence. I am sure his team will forward specific recommendations to allow adequate time for consideration.”
Rep. Jasperse said he had not yet reviewed Deal's comments and was not ready to comment Monday evening.
The National Rifle Association and Georgia Carry lobbied for the bill, but equally strong opposition has come from the powerful governing board for Georgia’s university system and campus police chiefs.
"I think that he would be wise to go ahead and veto this legislation, period," said Sen. Parent.
Deal is expected to answer media questions about his concerns Tuesday.