Investigations
Georgia's year in gun news
- Georgia has cleared the way for thousands of people who had been involuntarily committed for mental illness to buy guns, the AJC's Rhonda Cook reported.
- Whether it's triggered by terrorist attacks or fears of new gun restrictions, Georgia may be setting a new record for gun sales, AJC reporter Alan Judd recently noted.
- A Marietta lawmaker has revamped a bill that would make it illegal for anyone going through a divorce to buy a gun. To try to get bipartisan support for the bill, Sen. Michael Rhett has revamped it to limit the ban to those who have protective orders filed against them.
- The city of Atlanta has thousands of confiscated guns that it is refusing to sell, despite a state law requiring such weapons be auctioned to a licensed gun dealer, the AJC's Jim Galloway reported. The state law has no penalties for non-compliance, but the city could face a lawsuit for ignoring the law.
- As of early December, 25 people had died of mass shootings in Georgia this year, according to a nationwide database.
- A Georgia man made headlines when he carried his fully loaded AR-15 through parts of Hartsfield-Jackson Airport.
- The state GOP in October cancelled a planned guns rights celebration, no explanation given, the AJC's Greg Bluestein and Dan Malloy reported.
- Georgia Congressman Hank Johnson is one of the sponsors of the proposed Assault Weapons Ban of 2015, recently assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
- Campus carry continues to be a controversial topic in Georgia, after attempts to legal concealed weapons on college campuses failed to muster enough support by lawmakers, the AJC's Jeremy Redmon reported.
About the Author
Norder is Senior Editor for Investigations at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The investigative reporters she directs work to independently examine the workings of government and other powerful institutions and individuals. Their goal is to help improve the lives of Georgians.
