Georgia vs. California

February 16th, 2008 · 1 Comment

When someone thinks about the differences in gun laws between California and Georgia they often mistakenly assume that liberal California would restrict guns just about everywhere while conservative Georgia would allows just about everywhere.

And you would be wrong. As stolen from GeorgiaPacking:

Georgia	California
This is a crime in Georgia. See. O.C.G.A. § 16-11-127, which places all publicly owned buildings off limits, even the bathrooms at interstate rest stops.	Penal Code Section 171b bans the carry of firearms to public meetings and public buildings, but exempts “[a] person holding a valid license to carry the firearm pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 12050) of Chapter 1 of Title 2 of Part 4.” See 171b(b)(3).
This is a crime two different ways in Georgia. See O.C.G.A. §§ 16-11-127 and 16-11-34.1.	California Penal section 171c makes it a crime to carry a firearm into the state capitol building in Sacramento (along with committee meeting rooms, legislative offices, and the Governor’s office), but, again, excepts a “person holding a valid license to carry the firearm pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 12050) of Chapter 1 of Title 2 of Part 4.”
This is, of course, a crime in Georgia.	California Penal Section 171d makes it a crime to carry into the Governor’s mansion, unless, again, you have a license (or if you are a member of the Governor’s family or a police officer).
This is, of course, a crime in Georgia.	Schools. It is illegal to even have ammunition on school grounds in California, unless, of course, you have a firearms license. Penal Code 12316(c).
Georgia makes this a felony (loss of right to vote and keep and bear arms) even for 60 year old graduate students, even in a glovebox in the parking lot, in spite of the carjacking and kidnapping last month at Georgia State and the string of armed robberies at Georgia colleges over the last couple of months (demonstrating that this law does not do what it is intended to do). Georgia’s law even applies to adult technical and vocational schools. If I wanted to take a welding class (and I have thought about it for skills needed in restoring my 1966 GTO), I would be completely disarmed, even while driving to and from my class, under pain of a felony prosecution. The same goes for guest speakers at any University.	Penal Code Section 626.9, the Gun Free School Zones Act of 1995, makes it illegal to carry a firearm at a school and lists out all of the terrible penalties associated with the crime, but it also lists exemptions, such as police officers, and, there it is again, license holders. See 626.9(l). Just to make it clear, California is talking about public or private k-12. See 626.9(e)(1). It is also talking about Universities. 626.9(h) and (i).