Local gun store owners are overwhelmingly supportive of Georgia Senate Bill 319 and have similar reasons for their support.
Mike Mundy, owner of Mike’s Gun Room in Winder, said it all goes back to the Law of the Land.
"I don't think it's a bad idea at all to give the folks in the state of Georgia the right to carry their weapon, or carry their firearm without a concealed weapons permit as it relates to the constitutional Second Amendment rights," said Mundy. "I say that because, my goodness, have you watched the news lately? There's all kinds of folks out there doing all kinds of awful things and I think as individuals, we do have the right to defend ourselves."
If signed into law, Senate Bill 319 would allow Georgians to carry a concealed weapon in public without a concealed carry license. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted Tuesday to approve the bill.
Supporters argue the bill removes a barrier for citizens to exercise their Second Amendement rights, while critics claim it would give criminals easier access to weapons.
John Lipscomb, owner of Foxhole Guns and Archery, agreed with Mundy concerning citizens' constitutional right to bearing arms.
While supportive of Senate Bill 319, Lipscomb said the Constitution is the only law that matters.
"Georgia tries to be a gun friendly state, but anytime they try to make it gun friendly, then they're adding another law to the books," said Lipscomb. "Some of the best states, like Vermont, have no gun laws...everything goes back to the Constitution of the United States."
Mike Weeks, owner of Georgia Gun Store in Gainesville, said a concealed carry license only serves one purpose.
"I do agree with constitutional carry, because a carry permit issued by the State is nothing more than a tax…it doesn't perform any other function other than to get more money out of my pocket," he said.
These three store owners said if signed into law, Senate Bill 319 would not change how they conduct their business, or how they sell a firearm.
All three businesses follow the procedures for selling a firearm as outlined by federal law. A customer wanting to purchase a gun must fill out an ATF 4473 form with background information, which the store verifies and runs through the National Instant Criminal Background Check System.
If the customer already has their concealed carry license, the store skips the federal background check, since the customer would have already undergone this step to receive their concealed carry.
For these store owners, this process makes the claim doing away with a concealed carry license increases crime, a moot point.
"Those are the same people that say we need increased gun control," said Weeks. "Criminals don't come into a gun store to buy a gun, they buy it illegally to begin with from individuals where there is no requirement to do a background check. So it's not going to change our procedures and it is not going to change the requirements that we have to sell a gun."
Like Weeks, Mundy said criminals will find a way around any law.
"A law does not stop a criminal from criminal activity. If I know that I'm not supposed to do something, but I've got the mindset to do it, I'm going to get my hands on whatever it is, through any means necessary," said Mundy. "I'm going to steal a weapon, [or] buy a weapon off of somebody that's not supposed to be selling it."
Lipscomb said more people legally carrying a weapon may even help curtail crime.
"It's going to allow people who don't get the state concealed weapons permit the ability to carry...if more people are carrying them, more people could be involved in stopping violent crimes," said Lipscomb. "I think criminals will think twice about grabbing somebody because they don't want to get shot."
Currently, in order to obtain a concealed weapons license a Georgia resident must visit the courthouse of the county they reside in and submit an application and pay an application fee.
Each person must also submit a fingerprint and undergo a background check.
Mundy, Lipscomb and Weeks each said they are willing to help anyone at their stores with questions about guns, obtaining a concealed weapons license or gun training.
