State Sen. Elena Parent (D-Decatur) intentionally deceives the public with false scare tactics. In a committee hearing, she said criminals who are not eligible for weapons carry licenses could carry firearms if permitless carry passes. More recently, she is quoted as saying such people could purchase guns in private sales and legally carry them. She goes on to say the governor and bill authors have not addressed this.
There is nothing to address, because Sen. Parent, a practicing attorney, is intentionally misrepresenting the law. A person who is ineligible to possess a firearm under federal law commits a 10-year federal felony when he buys a gun at a private sale. Under current law, he commits a state misdemeanor if he carries the gun in public without a license. If permitless carry passes, the same person still would be committing a state misdemeanor (albeit a different one) if he carried the gun in public.
The requirement for a weapons carry license only applies to law-abiding citizens – criminals do not get licenses. If the requirement is repealed, we simply will be removing an unnecessary burden on Georgia’s honest citizens.