‘Constitutional Carry’ bill passes in Georgia, Gov. Kemp says he looks forward to signing

ATLANTA, Ga. (CBS46) - The NRA-backed Georgia legislation that allows gun owners to carry a firearm without a permit from the state has reportedly passed, according to a tweet by Gov. Brian Kemp.

Kemp said in a tweet that he appreciates the hard work of the House and Senate to get the “Constitutional Carry” bill or Senate Bill 319 over the finish line.

Kemp also said that law-abiding Georgians deserve to ensure they can protect themselves and their families and he looks forward to signing the bill.

RELATED: Permitless carry may soon become reality in Georgia

Currently, you need a permit, which means you must pass a background check, if you want to carry a gun outside of your home and it costs $75 to get a gun license. Opponents of the bill believe that passage of the bill will result in more guns on the streets.

The NRA sent the following:

“The NRA paved the way for constitutional carry by first leading the charge for right-to-carry nearly 40 years ago. Today, every state, and the District of Columbia, provides for the carrying of a firearm for self-defense outside the home in some form, and half the nation recognizes the Second Amendment protects law-abiding citizens’ right to self-defense as an inherent and inalienable right. NRA members have led this extraordinary brick-by-brick effort in building and expanding America’s self-defense laws and we are not done!,” said Wayne LaPierre, CEO and executive vice president of the NRA.

The Democratic Party of Georgia also sent an official statement:

“Kemp and Perdue’s push for extreme, unpopular election-year legislation which would lead to a new gun safety loophole and make our state less safe tells you all you need to know about their priorities: they care more about their political aspirations than serving Georgians. Brian Kemp claims to support law enforcement, but his signature on this bill would ignore law enforcement’s warnings that it would put officers in greater danger – all in an effort to gain the support of special interests and extremists as he faces attacks from Donald Trump and David Perdue while seeking re-election,” said Max Flugrath, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia.

According to the Democratic Party, states that have passed permit-less carry laws saw spikes in aggravated assaults. Georgia already has the 17th highest rate of gun deaths in the nation, according to Everytown.org.

The states of Alabama, Indiana and Ohio have also passed Constitutional Carry bills during the 2022 legislative cycle, according to the National Association for Gun Rights.

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