Georgia: Things Heating Up in State Capital in Fight for Your Gun Rights

It’s only the first week of the 2014 legislative session, but things are beginning to heat up in Atlanta in the battle for your Second Amendment rights.

On Tuesday, state Senator Bill Heath (R-31) reintroduced Senate Bill 93 to the Georgia Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee.  SB 93 would allow hunters in Georgia to use lawfully-possessed suppressors on firearms while hunting.

Currently, more than half of the states across the country allow hunters to use suppressors while hunting.  There are numerous benefits to hunting with suppressed firearms, including:

• Increased use of suppressors help eliminate noise complaints frequently used as an excuse to close hunting lands throughout the country.  This will protect hunting areas well into the future.
• Using a suppressor while hunting reduces recoil and muzzle rise to help increase the accuracy of hunters.  More accurate shooting in the field means fewer wounded and lost animals -- a good thing for hunters and wildlife.
• Suppressors reduce the muzzle report to hearing-safe levels, reducing the chance that the hunter or anyone with the hunter will suffer permanent hearing loss if they fail to use hearing protection.

Recently, Arizona, Oklahoma and Texas adopted new rules allowing for the use of suppressors when hunting game.  It’s time that hunters in Georgia are able to enjoy the same opportunities available to sportsmen in more than half of the country, and your NRA fully supports passage of this bill.  For more information on firearms and suppressors, click here.

Also this week, legislation attacking your inherent right to self-defense was introduced.  Senate Bill 280, sponsored by state Senator Vincent Fort (D-39), would repeal a portion of Georgia’s self-defense law that allows an individual to defend themselves without a duty to retreat.  SB 280 is a dangerous piece of legislation that stands to empower and benefit violent criminals in their attacks on law-abiding citizens.  This type of senseless and politically motivated legislation must be stopped before it can get started.

Please contact your state Senator and politely urge him or her to oppose SB 280 as a misguided infringement on your right to self-defense.   Click here to view contact information for your state Senator.

With many days until the 2014 legislature adjourns, we expect much more legislation to be introduced in Atlanta.  Please stay tuned to your email inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates.