Q: Last year, Gov. Nathan Deal vetoed the “Campus Carry” bill, but he signed it into law this year. What happened? Has he given any reasons for his change of mind?
—Pavittar Safir, Roswell
A: House Bill 280, which Deal signed in early May, "addressed major concerns voiced by the governor last year regarding HB 859, which permitted a weapons carry license holder to carry a concealed weapon into certain areas of a college campus that had previously been prohibited," according to a statement from the governor's office.
Last year’s bill prohibited firearms in student housing and athletic events, but the governor expressed concerns that it still would have allowed guns in “sensitive places” on campus, such as disciplinary hearings, faculty and administrative offices and campus preschools, according to the statement.
Under HB 280, weapons carry license holders may carry concealed weapons in “specific and limited areas on college campuses,” but it prohibits anyone (including license holders) from carrying a concealed weapon in certain areas. Those campus areas include any preschool or childcare space, faculty, staff or administrative offices, rooms where disciplinary proceedings are conducted, areas for athletic sporting events, student housing and any space used for classes in which high school students are enrolled.
“As this legislation is more narrowly tailored as to exclude areas on a college campus, I’ve signed HB 280,” Deal said in a press release.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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