A Georgia lawmaker wants to allow the state’s college students to legally carry Taser and other stun guns to protect themselves.

Rep. Buzz Brockway sees the nonlethal weapons as a "middle ground" in the most recent debate about guns on campuses.

The Lawrenceville Republican plans to file a bill next week that would let students at least 18 years old at the state’s public colleges to carry the weapons.

The University System of Georgia declined to comment on pending legislation.

Brockway says his bill is separate from legislation pending at the Capitol that would allow anyone to carry guns on Georgia’s public colleges and universities. That bill, House Bill 544, sponsored by Rep. Heath Clark, R-Warner Robins, was introduced in 2015, but has not received a committee hearing.

Campus carry has been an ongoing issue in Georgia, with gun-rights advocates pushing for legalization. Despite the push, the influential University System of Georgia has managed to prevent it.

“Even if campus carry were allowed not everybody is going to want to carry a gun,” Brockway said. “This would just be a different level of personal protection for students.”

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