ATLANTA - A contentious gun bill that's pitting the business wing of the Republican Party against the National Rifle Association is moving swiftly through the state Senate.
The chamber's Rules Committee is set to hold a hearing on the measure Tuesday and it's expected to reach a floor vote by the end of the week, the Legislature's first back in session.
At issue is a bill that would allow employees to leave firearms in their locked vehicles at work.
It's a top priority for the National Rifle Association, which sees any attempt to limit where law-abiding gun owners may carry their weapons as akin to taking a ``a wrecking ball to the Second Amendment.''
The Georgia Chamber of Commerce opposes the bill, arguing it infringes on private property rights.
The bill was scuttled last year in the wake of the Virginia Tech massacre. Some Georgia lawmakers complained that the NRA was leaning on them to vote for the measure just days after the deadly shooting.
State Sen. Don Balfour, chairman of the Rule Committee, said he wants to take a good look at the measure, one of several gun bills pending this session. One compromise being talked about under the Capitol gold dome would craft exemption for companies who could demonstrate they were the target of threats.
``I think that would alleviate some concerns,'' Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson said.
The legislation is modeled on an Oklahoma law that a federal district court judge tossed out, saying it violated federal workplace laws. The state of Oklahoma is appealing that decision.
The issue arose in Oklahoma after Weyerhaeuser Corp. fired eight workers for violating company policy when guns were found in their vehicles at a timber mill in 2002.
Monday
April 28th, 2025
4:56PM
