Georgians can carry concealed weapons without permit under bill that received final passage

ATLANTA – Georgians would be allowed to carry concealed firearms without a permit under legislation that gained final passage in the state Senate Friday.

The Republican-controlled chamber passed Senate Bill 319 34-22 along party lines two days after the Georgia House of Representatives approved it 100-67.

As the bill has gone through the General Assembly in recent weeks, legislative Democrats have argued that allowing permit-less carry would lead to more violent crime by putting more guns on the streets.

“Let’s stop blaming an inanimate object,” said Sen. Randy Robertson, R-Cataula.

“The Constitution of the United States says we have the right to bear arms and the right to protect ourselves and our families,” added Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga, the bill’s chief sponsor.

The bill now moves to the desk of Gov. Brian Kemp, who endorsed the measure in his annual State of the State address to lawmakers in January.