Legislature Passes Kemp’s Dangerous Permit-less Carry Bill

Today, Georgia Republican Senators passed an extreme permit-less carry bill being pushed by both Brian Kemp and David Perdue. The legislation, which allows anyone to carry a gun in public without a permit, creates a new background check loophole by effectively eliminating part of the background check process anyone wanting to carry a concealed firearm currently must undergo. Polls show 70% of Georgians oppose this dangerous legislation, which has also caused major concern from law enforcement officials. As the bill heads to Kemp’s desk to be signed into law, the Democratic Party of Georgia released the following 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.

BACKGROUND ON PERMIT-LESS CARRY:

New Loophole: The extreme permit-less carry bill would create a new loophole by eliminating part of the background check process which anyone wanting to carry a concealed firearm currently must undergo. This legislation’s change would allow individuals with a criminal history who purchased a gun through a private sale – which is not subject to a background check – to now legally carry a weapon in our communities without any background check. The existing permit process prevented over 5,200 applicants from obtaining firearm carry licenses in 2020 — the majority of those denials were due to prior criminal records, outstanding arrests, mental health flags, or domestic violence charges.

Proven Danger: States that have passed permit-less carry laws saw spikes in aggravated assaults with a gun up to 65%, while states that weakened their firearm permitting system saw up to a 15% increase in violent crime. Georgia already has the 17th highest rate of gun deaths in the nation and its rate of gun deaths increased 20% from 2009 to 2018.

Majority Opposition: About 70% of Georgians are opposed to permit-less carry. Over 80% of gun owners, non-gun owners, Republicans, Democrats, and Independents across the nation agree that high safety standards are crucial in issuing concealed carry permits:

• 83% of gun owners agree
• 83% of Republican voters agree
• 87% of Democratic voters agree
• 84% of Independents agree

Permit-less carry has also faced opposition from law enforcement officers across the country, including Alabama, Louisiana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Georgia.

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