Press release:
ATLANTA, March 4, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — Twelve Georgia mayors came out in strong opposition to HB 875 today, one of the most aggressive rollbacks of public safety laws of its kind. HB 875 [link added] would expand the scope of Georgia’s existing dangerous Stand Your Ground law to protect criminals, virtually eliminate the crime of carrying guns on college and university campuses, and force cities and towns to allow guns into their government buildings . . .
The mayors shared their concerns in a letter sent to Governor Nathan Deal, Lt. Governor Casey Cagle and legislative leadership. The letter is available here. Recently passed by the Georgia House, the legislation will likely receive a Senate committee hearing this week—even though Georgians overwhelmingly oppose some of its measures.
“This bill is a matter of urgent public concern and would be taking our state in the wrong direction,” the mayors wrote in a letter to the governor and General Assembly leadership. “We urge you to reject this dangerous bill.”
Some provisions in HB 875 are outlined below:
- Stand Your Ground. Since Georgia Stand Your Ground became law in Georgia in 2006, the number of justifiable homicides in the state increased by 83%. HB 875 would dangerously expand this law even further to protect felons who kill using illegal guns.
- Guns on Campus. HB 875 would essentially eliminate the crime of carrying guns on college campuses. Even though the Georgia Board of Regents and 78% of Georgia registered voters oppose allowing concealed carry on college campuses, this bill would take the teeth out of the crime, making the penalty for illegally carrying a loaded gun on college and university campuses less severe than a speeding ticket.
- Guns in Government Buildings. This bill would overrule local judgment by forcing cities and counties to allow guns in their government buildings. By conditioning local authority to keep guns out of municipal and county buildings on the provision of costly security personnel, the bill would prohibit cities and counties from taking steps they deem necessary to keep their employees and citizens safe.
About Mayors Against Illegal Guns
Since its creation in April 2006, Mayors Against Illegal Guns has grown from 15 mayors of major American cities to more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters – making us the largest gun violence prevention advocacy organization in the country. The bipartisan coalition has united mayors, gun violence survivors and everyday Americans around these common goals: protecting communities by holding gun offenders accountable; demanding access to crime gun trace data that is critical to law enforcement efforts to combat gun trafficking; and working with legislators to fix weaknesses and loopholes in the law that make it far too easy for criminals and other dangerous people to get guns. The group recently joined forces with Moms Demand Action, the leading grassroots movement of American mothers working to prevent gun violence. Learn more at www.mayorsagainstillegalguns.org or on Twitter @DemandAction
[h/t JA]
“…protect felons who kill using illegal guns.” Really? It is unbelievable that people can read things like that and not just laugh these dimwits out of town.
No fraking S***. Read that and it lost all credibility for me. Just more scare tactics for the gun grab.
Yeah, Way to stand that on its head dirty dozen.
I thought the same. This is actually kinda legit. As long as you use deadly force in self defense IAW 16-3-21, 16-3-23, 16-3-23.1, or 16-3-24 you are immune from criminal prosecution as long as you are not using a “dangerous weapon” which GA defines as sawed-off shotgun, sawed-off rifle, machine gun, rocket launcher, grenade or simialar, mortar, or silencer. Mind-Blown.
Everything else in the bill is pretty solid though. It even forbids confiscation or registration, temp or permanent, of guns or ammo during a “State of Emergency”.
How does an SBS/SBR/Suppressor/Full Auto gun make the shot more lethal or the person you shot more dead? Politicians really have watched too many movies.
“Since Georgia Stand Your Ground became law in Georgia in 2006, the number of justifiable homicides in the state increased by 83%.”
JUSTIFIABLE. Not a drive-by, domestic abuse, or a random nutcase. Likely a righteous DGU.
Buuuuuut then there’s all those felons and their justifiable gun use. That’s why they’re felons, right? I get confused sometimes.
I think what they mean is it protects felons who had purchased their firearms illegally from prosecution due to using that illegally purchased firearm in self defense. I have always maintained that if you cannot trust the person with a firearm, you cannot trust them to be in public without the Law Enforcement supplied bracelets. Legal or not, they will get firearms.
Well, I can guarantee you it does NOT protect felons in possession of firearms from FEDERAL law!! Yeah! So there! Oh, yeah, the federal government doesn’t enforce that law. Never mind. OTOH, why should states enforce it?
Wow. No slant in that article AT ALL…
I gather it’s a MAIG press release, not an “article”. Be interesting to see how it is actually reported, IF it is actually reported.
The AJC ran a story with a small intro and the full MAIG message. There was no color commentary either way. They let MAIG speak for themselves.
Surprise! Surprise!
Not.
The elite simply will not tolerate us lowly serfs, peasants, pleibians, commoners, and otherwise misguided lower class folk to get too close to them with a firearm.
It just simply gets their boxers/panties in a bunch and cannot be allowed. After all, it’s for the children, and their sorry pathetic yet somehow elected and wretched bunch that need such protection. Keyword elected.
We are soooooo doomed.
Make that “self-appointed elite”.
hey hey, don’t be racist, is racist not to be anti gun…or something.
I wonder why they have such a problem with “justified” homicides?
To them there’s no such thing.
Nope. Lay back and try to enjoy it.
Also, they call all guns illegal guns and legal self defense makes you a felon.
Boosht. You’re already a felon due to your damnable scary illegal gun!
I want you to know that I will be calling the Governor and Lt. Governor tomorrow in SUPPORT of HR 875, and will WELCOME armed, law abiding, and FREE citizens to my church when the bill is passed! I will further do everything in my power to defeat you and you ungodly and un-American message!
THANK YOU!
I want you to know that I will be calling the Governor and Lt. Governor tomorrow in SUPPORT of HR875, and will welcome armed, law abiding, and FREE citizens to my church when the bill passes. Further, I will work long and hard tom defeat you and your ungodly and un-American message.
Jim Moore, Pastor, Gwinnett Baptist Tabernacle, Doraville, GA.
“The group recently joined forces with Moms Demand Action, the leading grassroots movement of American mothers working to prevent gun violence. ”
Now that’s some funny writing.
I found it funny too. I like how they compared apples to oranges when they said they had”grown from 15 mayors of major American cities to more than 1.5 million grassroots supporters.” The list of MAIG is probably so small that they can’t say how many is in the actual group so they use a fake number that looks big to inflate their ego.
I read the presser and thought, damn, we gotta have that law in every jurisdiction. Thanks, MAIG and Moms Demand Money. You light up my life.
There are over 500 Mayors in GA.
Are there 1.5 million?
So this bill will “virtually eliminate” one kind of crime. And we’re supposed to believe that’s a bad thing.
It’s typical in this type of hyperbole – they either don’t know or ignore the difference between literally (actual)and virtually (giving the appearance of).
They also ignore the fact that every time they manage to pass another of these unconstitutional anti-gun laws that “virtually eliminates one type of gun crime” they manage to create a whole shitload of additional crimes and a whole new class of criminals, formerly law-abiding citizens, to take its place.
I caught that, too. Sounds wonderful, why are they sounding like it’s bad?
I live in Georgia, and I don’t need a “stand your ground” law to vote not guilty.
Careful what you say, here. Called to jury duty, you will be asked about preformed decisions, and you best not have a paper trail contradicting your answer. What I’m sure you meant was that you could make up your mind after hearing the evidence, whether there was a “stand your ground” law or not.
That “Press Release” is a study in propaganda. It would bring tears of joy to the eyes of Josef Goebbels himself. Revolts me to think some person(s), somewhere are actually proud of that “piece of work”.
How do you start an actual non profit like mda?
“Gun owners against illegal mayors.” Nice ring to it, no?
Can’t edit.
A.k.a: G.O. A.I.M.
“HB 875 would dangerously expand this law even further to protect felons who kill.”
Oh noes! Those ex-cons should just let themselves be killed. Fur da childrenz.
I love how it starts out all 12 members and then later states that MAIG started out with 15 members. Losing a little support are they.
12 dumbest mayors in Georgia, for sure…other superlatives may occur to you.
Tom
HB875 will also repeal a stupid GA law that violates the 1st & 2d Amendments by telling churches they must either prohibit guns on their property or insist that the gun-toting attendees surrender them to be locked up for the duration of the service.
Dammit my old mayor is on that list. Dammi dammit dammit Deke. Nobody likes him. Dammit.
That 83% increase is less than 10 people out of a state of 9,000,000.
An increase of an average of 6 people per year to be precise.
Average of 7 per year before the law (2003-2005) and an average of 13 per year after the law (2007-2011).
Ralph Moore is not the Mayor of Union City anymore. He resigned last year (effective June 16, 2013). The current mayor is Vince Williams.
I don’t know if the new mayor is a member now, but it would seem that they either put the wrong name on the list or they should have only had 11 names on the list.
I wonder if they might be screaming about some sort of language in it that protects from prosecution those illegally in possession of a gun, who are found out through having used the gun in legitimate defense.
We know of other laws like the “Hale Demar act” in Illionois which protects against prosecution for having a gun without a permit, if you’re discovered via reporting a justifiable shooting. IDK if this says anything about protecting a person who is also a “prohibited person” under Brady laws.
Every time I see a factoid about justifiable homicides rising after “no duty to retreat” laws, I wonder if these increases would in previous yers have been counted as convictions of people who are now protected from such prosecution (because they were in fact justified in feeling that they shouldn’t have to give ground to crooks before defending themselves).
And they’re decrying that these people are not in jail.
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