House Resolution 1873 – Honoring GeorgiaCarry.Org

By: Representatives Powell of the 32nd, Meadows of the 5th, Jasperse of the 11th, Ballinger of the 23rd, Hightower of the 68th, and others

Honoring GeorgiaCarry.Org, Georgia’s eminent Second Amendment grassroots organization, and its members, Board of Directors, and officers for their outstanding efforts and contributions to the protection and expansion of the Second Amendment in Georgia; and for other purposes.

WHEREAS, Dean Mallis, Ed Stone, James Camp, John Monroe, Matt Knighten, and Mike Menkus realized they shared the common goal of being able to exercise their Second Amendment rights as provided for in the United States and Georgia Constitutions and founded GeorgiaCarry.Org; and

WHEREAS, GeorgiaCarry.Org was formed in 2006 and became a 501(4) nonprofit organization in 2007 as a result of the aforementioned men meeting and deciding to change the laws pertaining to the Second Amendment in Georgia; and

WHEREAS, Georgia was the 39th most restrictive state in the union in allowing its law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights of keeping and bearing arms; and

WHEREAS, Georgia had more places off limits, which prohibited law-abiding citizens from defending themselves from harm; and

WHEREAS, Georgia’s firearm laws were still operating under the Public Gathering Jim Crow laws and had been since 1870; and

WHEREAS, GeorgiaCarry.Org set out to hold state and local municipalities responsible for abiding by state laws through litigation; and

WHEREAS, in 2007, GeorgiaCarry.Org made its presence known to the Georgia General Assembly by lobbying for and against firearms legislation brought forth by other organizations; and

WHEREAS, GeorgiaCarry.Org’s testimony was very well received due to the knowledge of the gun laws in Georgia as compared to other states and the demeanor of the leadership of the organization; and

WHEREAS, it met with pro-Second Amendment Representatives and Senators and determined and followed a systematic approach to dismantling the laws that infringe on the Second Amendment; and

WHEREAS, in 2008, following the guidelines suggested by pro-Second Amendment Representatives and Senators, GeorgiaCarry.Org lobbied for HB 89 and was successful in passing the first pro-Second Amendment omnibus gun bill in Georgia’s history; and

WHEREAS, in 2010, GeorgiaCarry.Org lobbied SB 308 and was successful in passing the bill that repealed the public gathering law, replacing the vague Jim Crow language with a list of places that are off limits; and

WHEREAS, in 2014, GeorgiaCarry.Org lobbied for HB 60 and was successful in passing the bill that became known worldwide as the “Guns Everywhere Bill,” the largest omnibus gun bill in the history of Georgia; and

WHEREAS, in 2015, GeorgiaCarry.Org lobbied for and was successful in passing HB 492, an omnibus bill that redefined Zero Tolerance in public schools and clarified other portions of firearms statutes; and

WHEREAS, now in its 10th year, GeorgiaCarry.Org has become one of the most outstanding organizations in Georgia and has gained the respect of the General Assembly by respecting its members and by being knowledgeable on gun issues; and

WHEREAS, GeorgiaCarry.Org should be used as the model for organizations that wish to organize and participate in state government policy making.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that the members of this body honor GeorgiaCarry.Org and its members, Board of Directors, and officers for their outstanding efforts and contributions to the protection and expansion of the Second Amendment in Georgia.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Clerk of the House of Representatives is authorized and directed to make appropriate copies of this resolution available for distribution to GeorgiaCarry.Org and its members, Board of Directors, and officers.