Many Georgia parents and college students are holding their breaths waiting to see whether Gov. Nathan Deal will again veto guns on Georgia campuses as he did last year.
Deal’s comments of late suggest he may be more willing this year to consider the bill passed by the General Assembly that legalizes campus carry on Georgia’s public campuses.
He has cited worries about safety of students in areas outside of campuses, such as parking lots. And Deal contends this year’s gun bill is more palatable because it excludes firearms from places where he had concerns, including campus child care centers.
However, his veto statement last year didn't even mention child care centers. His objections were not about where guns would be allowed on Georgia's colleges, but whether they should be allowed.
He stated, “That college campuses should be a ‘gun free zone’ is a concept that has deep roots in Georgia as well…From the early days of our nation and state, colleges have been treated as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed. To depart from such time-honored protections should require overwhelming justification. I do not find that such justification exists.”
To read more, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
About the Author
