For people seeking to tighten gun laws in Georgia, the task comes down to changing Republican minds or changing the Republican majority.
The magnitude of that challenge was clear Wednesday, as Democrats and more than 100 people who want to change state government’s permissive attitude on guns rallied at the state Capitol. House Democrats released a letter signed by 71 of their members calling for a special session to consider legislation they say would reduce gun violence.
But there’s no sign that GOP Gov. Brian Kemp or the Republicans who head the party’s majorities in the state House and Senate are preparing any legislative response ahead of 2024, when all state lawmakers will be up for reelection. Spokespersons for Kemp and House Speaker Jon Burns both declined comment Wednesday. A spokesperson for Lt. Gov. Burt Jones did not respond to questions.
All that points to Georgia’s split political personality. It’s a place where Democrats can win statewide, as shown by President Joe Biden’s win in 2020 and three Democratic U.S. Senate victories in 2021 and 2022. But it’s also place where Republicans remain firmly in control. Leading gun rights supporters in Georgia aren’t worried. Jerry Henry, executive director of gun rights group GA2A, predicted that if anything happens between now and the 2024 elections, it will be Republican lawmakers further loosening gun laws. His group wants to lift the bar on carrying guns on church property in Georgia, for example.
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