Georgia Supreme Court upholds law allowing firearms on college campuses

ATLANTA — It remains legal to carry firearms -- even concealed firearms -- on Georgia’s college and university campuses.

The Georgia Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling on Wednesday calling the 2017 law constitutional.

In 2017, then-Gov. Nathan Deal signed a law allowing people to carry firearms on campuses like Georgia State University.

Since then, the legislature decided gun owners didn’t have to have a license to carry concealed, so that’s legal, too.

Some students on the Georgia State campus told Channel 2′s Richard Elliot that they don’t like it.

Five professors sued the state not long after the law went into effect in 2017, but before the Board of Regents adopted its own gun policy mirroring that law.

Justice John Ellington wrote, “Because the complaint shows the board adopted gun-carrying policies consistent with the 2017 (law), the question became moot.”

“I don’t think it’s a safe idea,” GSU student Israela Mulanga said about the decision. “Accidents happen, and we don’t want to be scared coming to school or having to wear bulletproof vests just coming on campus, so I don’t think it’s a good idea.”

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Each of Georgia’s colleges and universities posts the laws on its website.

On the University of Georgia’s website, it says, “lawful weapons carriers may carry concealed handguns in public university classes if they are conducted in buildings and facilities otherwise exempt from the law.”

Georgia State points out some of those buildings include student housing.

“State of Georgia law and Georgia State University policy prohibits the possession of weapons in university housing.”

Even with that provision, GSU student Roya Rabbani doesn’t much care about the law.

“So, if I don’t feel safe, maybe I won’t want to think about my goals anymore,” Rabbani said.

Elliot attempted to contact lawyers for those five professors who challenged the law and the state Attorney General’s Office.

There was no comment from either side.

RELATED NEWS:

Bill allowing guns on college campuses filed again at state Capitol Channel 2's Lori Geary reports

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