Moving to Georgia? Then Support HB 292!

[dawgdoc]

This probably does not affect many people here, but it could be important for a few of you (or your friends or family).  Under current Georgia law, if you move to Georgia, you cannot carry a weapon (handgun or knife with a blade over 5 inches) until you receive a Georgia Weapons Carry License, even if you already have a reciprocating permit.  So in other words, as long as you live in Tennessee, you can carry your handgun here in public just like a resident.  As soon as you move to Georgia, then the State no longer recognizes your HCP.  

If you move to Catoosa County and establish residency, you might only have to wait 2 weeks before you can legally carry outside your home, work, or car.  If, on the other hand, you move to one of the Atlanta Metro counties, you might wait as long as 2-3 months (which is illegal by the way, but they still do it).  

HB 292 is a bill that will address this issue as well as others.  If the law were to change, then you would have 90 days in which you could carry on your old HCP before having to get a GWCL.  There are some other important things in the bill, some major (decreasing the time limit to do the background checks, providing ways to appeal mental health rulings) and some minor (clarifying definitions in the current law), but the new resident issue is one of the most important things.  The new resident change was part of a similar law that turncoat Governor Deal vetoed last year because it decriminalized church carry (the horror!).  The church language has been removed, so there should be no reason this shouldn't pass.

I was prompted to write this post after reading the recent post about a TN resident going to school in Alabama.  If a grad student (over 21) from TN wanted to establish residency in GA and carry a gun, this type of quirk in the law could affect them.

Right now HB 292 is waiting to be voted out of the Senate Rules Committee so it can get a full vote in the Senate.  I don't think there were any amendments, so if passed, it would be sent to the Governor. 

[TennDawg]

This would be really good news if I ever move back, especially since I would likely be moving to one of the metro counties. After my experiences in Dekalb I would likely not head back that way though!

[dawgdoc]

The vote is supposed to be on Tuesday.

[dawgdoc]

Governor signed this one into law today.

[300winmag]

You guys are making a lot better headway in Georgia than what we are making in Tennessee for whatever reason.  That is good to see.  Where is it illegal to carry there now that college carry will be legal?  Will K-12 schools be about the only illegal location?  I know you don't have to worry about the silly no gun signs like we do here.

Edited May 10, 2017 by 300winmag

[dawgdoc]

We can't carry in courthouses  (which includes buildings that might have a traffic court buried deep within), polling places, nuclear facilities and other federal no-go zones, K-12 schools and events, churches without permission from the governing authority, and government buildings with screened security.  I think that is it.