Sorry if it's a repost:
Gun bill holstered for year, says Cagle
By CARLOS CAMPOS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/18/07
A bill to extend access to firearms in motor vehicles in Georgia will not be debated by the Legislature, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said today.
"This bill is dead for the session," Cagle, the Senate president, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a phone interview. "There was every effort made to try to reach an agreement and at the end of the day neither side could seemingly come to an agreement that they could live with. And there was not the support to bring it to the floor and so we let the bill die for the year."
The state Senate was prepared to debate House Bill 89 this week, but the mass shootings at Virginia Tech forced legislators to question the timing of such a discussion.
"I think that clearly it was on the minds of every elected official," Cagle said.
HB 89 is a hybrid version of a House bill sponsored by Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-Villa Rica) and Senate Bill 43, sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock). Bearden's bill would allow motorists to conceal weapons anywhere inside of their cars. Current law requires them to be exposed to plain view, or hidden in a glove box or center console. Rogers' bill would essentially allow employees to store firearms in their motor vehicles while parked in company parking lots. The bill would've still allowed the owners of the parking lots to prohibit firearms on the property. But not all businesses own their lots.
The bill upset the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, an important Republican ally. It also was opposed by gun safety advocates, and many in law enforcement, who feared it would lead to more guns on the state's roads and highways — increasing the potential for violence. But he National Rifle Association put tremendous pressure on lawmakers to take up the bill. They argued SB 43 allowed Georgians to defend themselves and their families while commuting to and from work.
Legislators were considering taking a vote on it this week, but the shootings at Virginia Tech chilled the discussion.
Gun bill holstered for year, says Cagle
By CARLOS CAMPOS
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Published on: 04/18/07
A bill to extend access to firearms in motor vehicles in Georgia will not be debated by the Legislature, Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle said today.
"This bill is dead for the session," Cagle, the Senate president, told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a phone interview. "There was every effort made to try to reach an agreement and at the end of the day neither side could seemingly come to an agreement that they could live with. And there was not the support to bring it to the floor and so we let the bill die for the year."
The state Senate was prepared to debate House Bill 89 this week, but the mass shootings at Virginia Tech forced legislators to question the timing of such a discussion.
"I think that clearly it was on the minds of every elected official," Cagle said.
HB 89 is a hybrid version of a House bill sponsored by Rep. Timothy Bearden (R-Villa Rica) and Senate Bill 43, sponsored by Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock). Bearden's bill would allow motorists to conceal weapons anywhere inside of their cars. Current law requires them to be exposed to plain view, or hidden in a glove box or center console. Rogers' bill would essentially allow employees to store firearms in their motor vehicles while parked in company parking lots. The bill would've still allowed the owners of the parking lots to prohibit firearms on the property. But not all businesses own their lots.
The bill upset the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, an important Republican ally. It also was opposed by gun safety advocates, and many in law enforcement, who feared it would lead to more guns on the state's roads and highways — increasing the potential for violence. But he National Rifle Association put tremendous pressure on lawmakers to take up the bill. They argued SB 43 allowed Georgians to defend themselves and their families while commuting to and from work.
Legislators were considering taking a vote on it this week, but the shootings at Virginia Tech chilled the discussion.
K HOLE" next to her big mouth.
