Opinion: Gov. Deal should veto Campus Carry V2.0
While our city and state were distracted by the fiery collapse of an I-85 bridge, the gun lobbyists (National Rifle Association and Georgia Carry) and their surrogate state legislators were firing another round of shots at Georgia’s public colleges and universities. In the waning hours of the 2017 session of the Georgia General Assembly on March 30th, a House and Senate conference committee reconciled their differences and a final version of House Bill 280 was approved by both bodies. Governor Deal now must decide by May 9th either to veto the bill or sign it into law.
The proposed new law would legalize guns in Georgia’s public college and university classrooms for the first time, breaking with the longstanding policy of keeping campuses gun free. Last year, similar legislation was vetoed by Gov. Nathan Deal who cited Georgia’s “time honored protections” of treating public colleges “as sanctuaries of learning where firearms have not been allowed.” He asserted that changing current campus gun laws at Georgia’s public colleges “should require overwhelming justification.” He invoked the names of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, and founding fathers Thomas Jefferson and James Madison. These great statesmen agreed that our 2nd Amendment rights aren’t unlimited and that laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools are justifiable and constitutional.
Recent news reports indicate that Gov. Deal might be wobbling in his opposition to campus carry due to a number of exceptions that have been added to the bill this year, including on-campus daycare centers. It is the perfect time to make a 30 second phone call to Governor Deal’s office (404-656-1776) asking him to veto HB 280.
Below are just a few reasons why Governor Deal should veto HB 280.
HB 280 is unnecessary. College campuses are already one the safest places in our state. According to FBI data, the average rate of violent crimes on Georgia's public university campuses is 5.5 per 10,000 students, compared to 37.7 per 10,000 people off campus. The University System of Georgia Chancellor, Steve Wrigley, agrees. The chancellor has testified a number of times against HB 280 saying, "We feel strongly that current law strikes the right balance to create a safe environment on our campuses. We, therefore, respectfully oppose any change to current law."
HB 280 will increase the number of sexual assaults on campuses. A Florida study shows that, in the 11 states that force colleges and universities to allow loaded, concealed guns on campus, the rate of violent crime on campuses has increased, particularly cases of sexual assaults.
HB 280 will increase the suicide rate on campuses. Suicide crisis hotlines report that a student is five times more likely to successfully commit suicide if a gun is easily accessible.
HB 280 is opposed by campus law enforcement and first responders. Allowing the public to carry concealed handguns on campus poses difficult challenges for police departments. Most police chiefs believe that fewer innocent lives would be lost in active threat situations if firearms are limited to trained and supervised police officers.
HB 280 will cause "brain drain" and harm Georgia's economy. Most Georgia college students and faculty members are opposed to HB 280. Students and professors have 38 other states in the US -- where campuses remain gun free — to choose to study or teach. If HB 280 becomes law, we are likely to see a gradual reduction of best and brightest students and faculty that decide to stay or come to Georgia for higher education and teaching positions. This "brain drain" can only have an adverse effect on the Georgia economy in the long term.
HB 280 is an unfunded mandate and will be expensive to implement. The proponents of HB 280 claim putting signs on campuses will be the only cost of the proposed new law. The State of Florida has repeatedly rejected similar campus carry legislation and estimated that the cost of purchasing new equipment, hiring more security and increased training could be up to $100 million. Such costs, to correctly implement HB 280 in Georgia, would inevitably require increases in taxes or tuition or both.
Please make a call to the Governor today, or before May 9th. Thank him for vetoing this dangerous and unnecessary bill last year. Then, urge him to protect the safety of our colleges and the quality of higher education in Georgia by vetoing HB 280.
Jeff Ploussard lives in Gwinnett County. Several of his children attend, or are headed for, Georgia public colleges.
