Pro- and anti-gun forces agree on the breathtaking sweep of the Georgia legislation allowing guns in bars, schools, restaurants, churches and airports that is now awaiting the signature of Gov. Nathan Deal, reports the New York Times. Americans for Responsible Solutions, founded by former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ), calls it “the most extreme gun bill in America” and the “guns everywhere” legislation. The National Rifle Association, which lobbied for the bill, calls it “the most comprehensive pro-gun” bill in recent state history, and described last week’s vote for it “a historic victory for the Second Amendment.”
More than a year after the Newtown, Ct., school massacre prompted a burst of gun-control legislation, the Georgia bill shows just how far the counterreaction has spread as lawmakers, mainly in Republican-controlled states in the South and West, pass laws allowing weapons in all corners of society while strengthening Stand Your Ground laws. Gov. Deal, a Republican who is expected to sign the bill, is up for re-election this year, but there is no sign of a political backlash against him or anyone who voted for the legislation. His Democratic opponent, State Senator Jason Carter, President Jimmy Carter's grandson, also voted for the bill.