The Georgia Senate passed a Republican-backed bill Monday that would do away with the need for a license to carry a handgun in public — eliminating a current background check requirement.
Democrats said the measure would fuel gun deaths and proposed an amendment that would expand background checks, but the GOP-controlled Senate defeated it. Senate Bill 319 passed 34-22 along party lines and now goes to the state House.
Facing a primary challenge from Republicans including former U.S. Sen. David Perdue, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has backed the revocation. He says Georgia residents should have their constitutional rights protected and be able to protect themselves and their families amid a spike in violent crime.
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