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 The bill, which was approved by the Republican-dominated House on
Monday, would let anyone 21 or over with a concealed weapons permit
take their handguns on public college campuses but not into
dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses or sporting events.
"The House took a very clear position that the Second Amendment does
not stop at the edge of a college campus," Speaker David Ralston, a
Republican, said following passage of the bill, the Atlanta
Journal-Constitution reported.
A Democratic opponent of the bill, State Representative Robert
Trammell, said in a phone interview on Tuesday that he believed the
U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment allowed handguns to be barred
from "sensitive" places such as college campuses.
 "In addition to the question of public safety, a weapon in a
classroom environment is antithetical to the idea and mission of
post-secondary education," Trammell said.
Supporters of the measure have cited several recent armed robberies
of students in the library at Georgia State University in downtown
Atlanta as evidence that students should be allowed to arm
themselves.
But Trammell said there is no data showing that campuses would be
safer if students were allowed to carry weapons.
The Georgia Board of Regents, which governs the state's colleges and
universities, opposes the bill, spokesman Charles Sutlive said.
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The measure's chances in the Republican-controlled state Senate are
unclear. A similar "campus carry" provision failed in 2014 when
senators stripped it from a broader gun bill.
A spokeswoman for Republican Governor Nathan Deal said the governor
does not comment on pending legislation, giving no indication of
whether he supports the bill.
Last week, the president of the University of Texas reluctantly
approved plans that would allow licensed concealed handgun holders
to bring pistols into classrooms, after the Texas legislature last
year approved a campus carry law similar to the one proposed in
Georgia.
Georgia's bill covers only public colleges. Texas allows private
colleges to opt out of campus carry, and most of the best-known
private schools have.
(Editing by Colleen Jenkins and Bill Trott)
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