Earlier this month, the Demorest, Georgia city council voted to restore the right to bear arms to city employees. “Demorest officials say they have passed a groundbreaking personnel policy amendment believed to be the first of its kind in Georgia,” accesswdun.com reports. “The city council voted unanimously to amend the city’s personnel policy to allow city employees with a valid concealed carry permit to carry their weapons during the workday.” The restoration of gun rights to public employees may be a first for a Georgia city, but it’s a growing trend in the United States. As wsls.com reported, on January 26th, Bedford County in Virginia enacted a very similar policy. As the right to keep and bear arms is being restored across the United States . . .
more governments below the federal level are restoring those rights to employees. Some government officials see it as an issue of Second Amendment rights. Some see it as a way of increasing safety in the workplace. Others see it as a simple issue of fairness. From WSLS:
“It really brings the employees of the county to the public,” said Skelley. “The public has no prohibition and it would be illegal for the county to prohibit exercising their second amendment rights on county property.”
Most government employers have the restriction in employee handbooks. It was often sold as a means of reducing “liability.” Interestingly, Wisconsin and Kansas have specifically eliminated the liability of employers if they lift the restrictions on employees exercising their Second Amendment rights. Texas and Kansas have lifted the restrictions on people carrying concealed guns in their statehouses.
Virginia and Georgia are not the only states where local employees are regaining their rights. We’ve also seen it in Kansas, North Carolina, Michigan, and Texas. People with concealed carry permits have grown to nearly 10 percent of the population in some states. The number of states that have restored the right to carry a concealed weapon without a permit has increased to 10.
I expect this trend to continue. People with carry permits have shown themselves to be more law abiding than police officers. The Bedford County attorney had this to say about the change in policy there: “In addition, the county attorney took a look at possible issues before the meeting Monday night. The county’s insurance premiums will not be affected and liability issues could happen with or without a restriction.”
©2016 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
Gun Watch
In other words the 2A is now authorized
This seems only to apply to government employees. As if they are the only ones who need to be able to defend themselves. Phoooy
I could be wrong, but I read it that non-government employees had the ability to carry in the same places, but due to local government regulations government employees were not allowed to carry. This vote allows the government employees to carry while working if licensed, just like everyone else.
Small though it may be, it is stepping in the right direction.
Wake me when this happens in some NY city (not speaking of NYC of course)…
Omer is right. In Georgia, concealed an open carry are allowed in state/county/municipal government buildings except for courthouses and beyond security checkpoints with metal detectors.
“Let freedom ring.”
If it saves just one life….
I’ve sat through a couple “active shooter” presentations. I take issue with that name, as most of us are “active” shooters. We’re talking about spree killers here, the weapon itself is unimportant. An armed nut with evil intent. Could be a machete, could be someone with too much walking dead viewing time who brought a crossbow. The very best response to a spree killer is an armed response. And we are specifically disallowed that. The same state which issues the CCW licenses bans those same vetted people for being in a position to save lives. So instead we’re fish in a barrel.
Yep, never liked the “active shooter” thing.
Tell it like it is I say. Call them “some A-hole.” (Feel free to fill the hyphen with the letter S twice.)
Could you hear It?
“We have some a-hole at 4th and main shooting up the place.”
“Please evacuate the building, some a-hole has a gun up stairs and he’s not shy about using it.”
“Another tragic shooting today, cuz some A-hole thought life wasn’t giving him what he deserved.”
I knew it, I’m surrounded by a$$holes!
Lived in GA all my life. Never heard of Demorest. I thought it was a provision in Obamacare. Concerning end of life death panel or a nursing home for retired Democrats.
Surprised since ultra liberal Piedmont College is located in Demorest. I would have thought liberal professor would have taken over the city council with all their free time.
I read “Democrat” instead of “Demorest” at first. Ha.
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