aTypical Joe: a gay New Yorker living in the rural South

Monday, January 07, 2008

Gun fight

In Georgia, it looks like property rights may trump gun rights:

Calling it “a core fundamental issue” for his group this year, the head of the National Rifle Association lobbied hard Monday for a bill that would allow employees to keep handguns in their cars at work.

NRA Executive President Wayne LaPierre made a rare appearance under the Gold Dome Monday, a week before the Legislature convenes, to push the bill with key lawmakers.

A frustrated LaPierre said the bill, which was effectively quashed last year by the efforts of the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, has made it through other state legislatures unopposed, including Oklahoma and Missouri. [...]

Bob Thorton, a Georgia NRA member who sported a t-shirt with the words, “Wayne Never Asked Me,” said House Bill 89 puts the second and fourth amendments of the Constitution squarely at odds.

“You’ve got the right to bear arms and the right to bear property,” he said. “One is trying to step on the other.”

Political Insider says The Georgia Chemistry Council has declared defeat of the bill a matter of national security:

“The nature of some materials produced in the chemical industry make our workplaces higher-risk targets for potential terrorist attacks,” said council executive vice president Rudy Underwood. “A mandate by state government to force our member companies to relax the necessary security measures adopted by the chemical industry would be counterproductive to ensuring safety and security for our employees, neighbors and essential products.”