Atlanta, Georgia — Republican State Rep. Bill Hitchens, Chairman of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee, is blocking Constitutional Carry legislation (House Bill 2) in his committee.
In an interview with 11Alive in Atlanta, Hitchens said among other things, “we have to be very careful with our gun laws and who we can allow to have them . . . ”
Please watch the video below.
House Bill 2, introduced by Georgia’s most pro-gun elected official, State Rep. Matt Gurler, would make the weapons license optional, not do away with the license so that reciprocity would remain in place. 16 states currently have Constitutional Carry.
The battle in Georgia has been led by the state’s only no-compromise organization, Georgia Gun Owners.
However, the establishment gun lobby, including the NRA and Georgia Carry, have for years worked behind the scenes to kill Constitutional Carry, routinely telling legislators that Georgia “isn’t ready for it.”
On the campaign trail in 2018, then candidate Brian Kemp, pledged to sign into law Constitutional Carry. Here’s video of Governor Kemp on the trail.
But he’s yet to lift a finger to help pass the legislation.
Thursday January 16 is the fourth day of Georgia’s meeting of the General Assembly in 2020.
There are 40 total days.