Georgia Carry : An information clearinghouse for Georgia Firearms License issues and news

GCO Announces 4th Annual Convention – August 10 & 11

Jerry Henry — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:23:30 +0000

What: GeorgiaCarry.Org 4th Annual Convention
When: Friday and Saturday August 10 – 11, 2012
Where: Renaissance Waverly Hotel Atlanta – Hotel Rooms are available at a special discount rate through Wednesday July 11, 2012 and are limited in supply. Room reservations can be made HERE.

This year’s convention will be the celebration of GCO’s 5th Anniversary with much to celebrate and enjoy at this convention.

Our Guest Speaker will be David Codrea, long-time gun rights activist and grassroots leader. David Codrea has been writing professionally on the subject of the right to keep and bear arms since 1999, initially for GUNS & AMMO magazine, then moving on to HANDGUNS, and for the last 6+ years at GUNS, where he is a field editor producing the monthly “Rights Watch” column.

He was part of a team that established the pioneering gun rights website, GUNTRUTHS.com in the mid-nineties, and went on to form the Citizens of America advertising campaign, producing pro-gun radio commercials that played on stations throughout the country.

A panelist selected by The New York Times blog to discuss the Virginia Tech shootings, he has been written about in various news reports, including by The New York Times, the Associated Press, The Arizona Republic, WorldNetDaily and the Romanian newspaper, Adevărul.

Blogging at The War on Guns: Notes from the Resistance (waronguns.blogspot.com) and Gun Rights Examiner (davidcodrea.com), Codrea has also been a frequent (and frequently invited back) guest on national and major market radio programs including Tom Gresham’s Gun Talk and Armed American Radio with GCO Member Mark Walters, and on American Trigger Sports Network’s “Trigger Sports LIVE!” program with James Towle. He was also a featured speaker at the Second Amendment March in Washington D.C. in 2010.

Codrea was named Gun Rights Defender of the Month in April, 2007 by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms for persuading the Bush administration to strike “collective rights” language from the Federal Register in an FAA ruling. In 2011, he was named “Journalist of the Year” by the Second Amendment Foundation for his groundbreaking work exposing the “Fast and Furious” ATF “gunwalking” scandal, and was a co-recipient of Soldier of Fortune Magazine’s “2nd Amendment Freedom Fighter Award,” and Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership’s “David and Goliath Award” for his work on that story.

David is also involved in a new project to help produce a documentary on the ATF’s failed “Fast and Furious” scandal called “Blood on Their Hands. His article can be found here with details of the project linked in the article.

David will be on hand for both days and will be looking forward to meeting and talking with each of you about our efforts to restore our rights to bear arms.

Have you purchased your tickets for the 4th Annual GeorgiaCarry.Org Convention yet?

Tickets are on sale now through July 31 – but don’t wait too long to purchase your tickets. We are once again offering a $25 dollar discount on all-inclusive Friday/Saturday tickets through June 30! Plus, if you register and purchase your tickets (All-inclusive or Saturday only) by June 30, you will be automatically entered in a drawing to win the hottest handgun on the market today – Smith and Wesson’s brand new Shield 9mm donated by Autrey’s Armory in Fayetteville, GA!

Winner must be present at time of drawing Saturday night. Anyone attending the convention that purchased their ticket early will be eligible to win this pistol, excluding GCO Board Members, Officers, and the Executive Director.
Tickets for this handgun can only be obtained by purchasing your all-inclusive ticket on or before June 30, 2012. No other tickets will be offered for sale at anytime to win this handgun.

Once again, along with the all-inclusive Friday/Saturday tickets, we are offering the option of purchasing Friday evening only tickets as well as Saturday only tickets. Also available is the option of making 5 equal payments if you are purchasing all-inclusive Friday/Saturday tickets.

Information on tickets is available HERE.
Registration/tickets are available HERE.

If you have never attended the GeorgiaCarry Convention, you’ve missed out on a terrific weekend packed full of fun activities, informative, educational and enlightening seminars, great food and drinks, games, auctions, exciting speakers, and camaraderie with the people directly responsible for sweeping changes in Georgia’s gun laws – YOUR FELLOW GEORGIACARRY MEMBERS!

Friday evening’s festivities will include dinner (included with your ticket), raffle games like “Kill the Zombies” with airsoft guns and our exciting poker tournament. Not to mention the opportunity to see old friends and make new ones!

Saturday will be crammed full of activities from breakfast (included with your ticket) until the end of our big Gala Dinner (included with your ticket). {You are on your own for Saturday Lunch!} We’ll have more seminars this year than ever before, including one for those interested in preparing for unexpected disasters. There will be self defense instructors and legal advisers speaking and answering questions. There will also be a “Meet the Board” session where members can come and ask questions of all GeorgiaCarry board members and Executive Director. But most importantly, we’re going to focus our attention on lobbying efforts – not only on GeorgiaCarry’s efforts, but what individual members can do to help accomplish our goals.

A larger Vendor Show (open free to the public! – see below) will be held all day Saturday with more options and vendors than ever before. Before dinner we will have a nice cocktail hour and silent auction in one of the ballrooms. Finally, our exciting Gala Dinner with guest speaker David Codrea, master of ceremonies Moby, awards and live auction conducted by Jeremy Doan of Doan and Associates Auction Company (GAL 3594).

New for the Convention this year is the ability for members and non-members alike to attend the Vendor Show absolutely free of charge. This will allow members of GeorgiaCarry.Org and even the general public to get a taste of our convention without spending a dime. Members will also be able to attend the “Meet the Board” session without purchasing a ticket, however, non-members will not be allowed in this session.

Please come out and enjoy Georgia’s flagship Second Amendment event!

GCO on 11Alive News defending the Stand Your Ground law

Gunstar1 — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 21:48:24 +0000

John Monroe was interviewed on the motion to dismiss the baseless lawsuit against Georgia’s Stand Your Ground law and debated Plaintiff’s council Robert Patillo on Channel 11′s 11Alive News at 7:00 PM on Monday April 23rd. The 11Alive video of the interview can be seen on 11Alive’s website here.

GCO Moves to Dismiss ‘Stand Your Ground’ Case

jrm — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 19:59:39 +0000

GCO has filed a motion to dismiss the case filed by Rev. Markel Hutchins to have Georgia’s so-called “stand your ground” law ruled unconstitutional. Yesterday, GCO moved to intervene as a party in the case, to represent the interests of its members. Today’s latest motion seeks to have the case dismissed on the grounds that Rev. Hutchins has no standing to sue to challenge the law. The brief in support of the motion to dismiss may be found here.

GCO Moves to Intervene in Stand Your Ground Case

jrm — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:59:24 +0000

GCO has filed a motion to intervene in Rev. Markel Hutchins’ lawsuit against state officials challenging the constitutionality of the so-called “stand your ground” law in Georgia. GCO seeks to represent the interests of its members, who are not adequately represented by the existing parties in the case. The brief in support of the motion to intervene may be viewed here.

GCO Files Another Supplement in Church Carry Case

jrm — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:25:42 +0000

GCO has filed another supplemental letter brief in its appeal of the case against the church carry ban in Georgia. In this supplement, GCO points out to the court that a U.S. District Court in North Carolina has ruled that the Second Amendment applies outside the home and that strict scrutiny applies to laws burdening the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens. The latest supplement may be viewed here.

Senate Bill SB98 Favorably Reported from House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee – 03/22/12

Jerry Henry — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 12:05:11 +0000

To all GCO Members and Friends,

Thank you for all your work in contacting the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee chairman and members. You work has, once again paid off as SB98 was favorably reported out of the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee by a vote of 8 to 3 this morning. The bill now goes to the House Rules Committee where it may be recommended for a floor vote.

Please contact the following House Rules Committee Members asking them to send SB98to the House floor for a vote:

Chairman – John Meadows

Email – johnmeadows@starrmathews.com

Phone – 404.656.5141 – Office

Vice Chairman – Rich Golick

Email - rich.golick@house.ga.gov
Phone – 404.656.5943 – Office

If any member of the committee is your representative, please contact them asking them to push for a floor vote and a yes vote when it is brought up on the floor. Contact information for the

House Rules Committee members can be found here. When you get to the link, look for your representative’s name and click on the name. It will take you to all his/her contact information. If you are not aware of whom your elected officials are, please go to the GCO Legislative Info page here and follow the instructions on the page.

House Rules Committee Members

Richard H. Smith , Tommy Benton, David Casas, Mickey Channell, Sharon Cooper, Katie M. Dempsey, Karla Drenner, Earl Ehrhart, Gerald E. Greene, Bob Hanner, Bill Hembree, Judy Manning, Billy Mitchell, Greg Morris, Howard Mosby, Butch Parish, Allen Peake, Tom Rice, Jay Robert, Ed Setzler, Donna Sheldon, Barbara Sims, Lynn Smith, Calvin Smyre, Ron Stephens, Tom Weldon, and Wendell Willard

The current bill contains government buildings, bar carry, knives and other weapons preemption, eliminating the fingerprint requirement on renewals and the resale of firearms used in crimes when the legal owner cannot be found. The substitute bill is available here as well as linked on our Current Bills page.

Please remember to be firm but polite when urging your elected officials to support passage of SB98 to restore a portion of our second amendment rights. Be sure to note that you are a member of GeorgiaCarry.Org.

You should begin to contact your representatives and senators requesting they support SB98. If you are not aware of whom your elected officials are, please go to the GCO Legislative Info page here and follow the instructions on the page.

If possible, we will keep you updated when the bill moves from the Rules Committee to the floor, etc. so we can contact our elected officials. However, please remember at this time of the session, bills move with lightning speed at times so don’t delay in contacting your elected officials.

Again, thanks for an outstanding job of contacting the Speaker and the House Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee. Without your support, we would not have a gun bill in Georgia this year. You, our members are what make this organization’s efforts successful!

GCO Files Supplement in Church Carry Case

jrm — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 02:24:34 +0000

Federal appellate rules provide that new authorities after oral argument can be brought to the Court’s attention via letter to the clerk. Because two recent district court decisions have found that the Second Amendment applies to the states, an issue in GCO’s case challenging Georgia’s ban on carrying firearms in churches, GCO has submitted a letter advising the clerk of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals of that fact. The letter may be viewed here.

HB 981 – Firearms and weapons; carrying, possession and disposition; change provisions

Jerry Henry — Thu, 16 Feb 2012 05:03:01 +0000

A new House bill HB981 available here, was put into the “hopper” Tuesday, February 15, 2012. Sponsored and introduced by Stephen Allison, R-8. The cosponsors so far are - (1) Allison, Stephen 8th, (2) Golick, Rich 34th, (3) Jerguson, Sean 22nd, (4) Harden, Michael 28th, (5) Dutton, Delvis 166th, (6) Ramsey, Matt 72nd and others not yet available. The bill will be read in the House and assigned to a committee in the next couple of days.

This bill authorizes concealed weapons to be carried in:

Government buildings except Courthouses
Schools
Polling places
Bars
Churches and other venues
Sets the penalty for violating this code – with license, a misdemeanor. Without license, a felony.
Eliminates fingerprinting for Georgia Weapons Carry License renewals and incorporates a NICS background check with both initial license and renewals.
Rework the Emergency Powers Act to prevent members of the police, government agencies or National Guard from disarming citizens during states of emergency and gives residents a right to sue if that occurs. States the court shall award the prevailing party, other than the state or political subdivision thereof, reasonable attorney fees.
Places knives under state preemption law, Code Section 16-11-173
Require weapons seized by law enforcement to be sold at auction to dealers, collectors and firearms manufacturers.
Legalize hunting with suppressors.
Maintain Private Property Owner’s rights to prohibit carry on their property

GeorgiaCarry.Org strongly supports this bill. The bill will be tracked on the “Current Legislation -Current Bills” page where the latest information can be found.

GCO discussed in classroom setting at Jacksonville State University in Alabama

Jerry Henry — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 13:42:23 +0000

The letter below was sent from Jerry Strange to the GCO Board of Directors:

Gentlemen,

I thought you might be interested in this event that happened in my daughter’s Business Law class last night, at Jacksonville State University.

As part of my daughter’s senior year of classes, she is required to take a business law class. This class is taught by a professor who is a Board Member of Jacksonville State University, an attorney, and a Judge in the local districts.

It is a small class of maybe 30-40 students, and is taught in a very informal atmosphere. Last night’s topic centered around the impact that businesses or groups of people can have on the laws that affect them. He was trying to explain that groups of people cannot directly make laws about topics that interest them, but that by working in an organized group, they can have a major impact.

He discussed PAC’s, lobbyists, etc., and the way they work. This topic lead to a discussion about issues that had been raised in the past few years concerning JSU. One of the issues had been the carrying of firearms on campus. A group of folks tried to force a lawful action of stopping the carry, and it was shut down when it was explained that it was legal and has
been for quite a while. He explained that the group had not done their homework, and had no idea how the laws worked.

After some discussion, he asked how many students were from Georgia, and about 20 or so raised their hands. He then asked how many had heard of a group called, you guessed it, GeorgiaCarry!!! Only my daughter kept her hand raised. He asked how she was familiar, and she explained that she was a member, as was her dad.

He then went on to teach the class about our background and the way we have had such an impact on the Georgia firearms laws here in the State of Georgia. He used GCO as an example of how a group of people had worked together to influence the lawmakers in Georgia to reach a desired goal.

He then went on to explain that GCO also took on cases for individuals, if they felt it would better the citizens of the State of Georgia. As an example, he started telling about a recent event concerning a “fellow” who had a confrontation at a local State Park, when he was confronted by a ranger demanding to see his GWCL.

At this point, my daughter just busted out loud laughing. The professor asked why, and she had to explain that he was talking about her dad. He laughed, checked her last name, and then replied that he should have remembered the “Strange” last name.

He discussed the events, how it was handled, and used GCO as a model for a group of “citizens” using the legal system for the better good of the group. She told me he was very complimentary of our methods, and liked the methods we used.

Who would have thought, GCO used as an example, a “business model”, in a University in Alabama!

Sincerely,
Jerry Strange

GCO Member Andrew Dole is winner of Henry Big Boy Rights Ratification Rifle!

Jerry Henry — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 02:53:21 +0000

The winner of the Henry Big Boy Rifle is GCO member Andrew Dole, a paramedic from Athens. Andrew has been a member of GCO since March, 2008. Below is a picture of the lucky winner along with GCO Diamond Corporate Sponsor and Owner of Autrey’s Armory in Fayetteville, Ben Autrey. Ben donated the rifle and our newest Platinum Sponsor, GT Virtual Concepts in Newnan donated the beautiful engraving of the GCO logo.

L-R GCO Member Andrew Dole, Ben Autrey

The engraved logo on the Henry Big Boy Rifle has been programmed into a CNC machine and is easily reproducible from GT Virtual Concepts in Newnan. Contact Golda for pricing.

Andrew commented that this was the first thing he had ever won and only bought the ticket the day before the drawing. He stated he figured he was only donating his money to GCO, which he did as did everyone who bought tickets. Thanks to all who enter the raffle! Congratulations to Andrew Dole and many thanks to Autrey’s Armory and GT Virtual Concepts for their generous donations to this fundraiser.