CRIMES AND OFFENSES: Proposed Constitutional Carry Act of 2019 & Executive Order by the Governor Temporarily Extending Renewal Requirements for Weapons Carry Licenses

Authors

Kristin Harripaul, Georgia State University College of LawFollow
Briana A. James, Georgia State University College of LawFollow

Document Type

Peach Sheet

Abstract

In March 2020, Governor Brian Kemp (R) issued an Executive Order declaring a Public Health State of Emergency due to COVID-19. The Supreme Court of Georgia also issued a Judicial Order declaring a Statewide Judicial Emergency. The Council of Probate Court Judges subsequently characterized the processing of weapons carry licenses as non-essential and temporarily suspended license issuances to limit the spread of COVID-19. HB 2 would have eliminated the license requirement and the need for probate judges to process applications. However, HB 2 never received a hearing before the 2019–20 legislative session ended. Gun rights advocates called on Governor Kemp to suspend the licensing requirement in the midst of the pandemic and brought a string of Second Amendment lawsuits challenging the suspension of the only avenue available to legally carry a gun in public for self-defense.

Recommended Citation

Kristin Harripaul & Briana A. James, CRIMES AND OFFENSES: Proposed Constitutional Carry Act of 2019 & Executive Order by the Governor Temporarily Extending Renewal Requirements for Weapons Carry Licenses, 37 Ga. St. U. L. Rev. 219 (2020).
Available at: https://readingroom.law.gsu.edu/gsulr/vol37/iss1/17