According to Firearm Chronicles
pro-gun movement by state lawmakers has basically ground to a halt. There’s been little of note in recent years, and that’s a big problem for me. To make matters worse, though, Democrats in the state are trying to ram through a red flag bill.
Georgia House Democrats held a public hearing on House Bill 435, otherwise known as “The Red Flag Protective Order Act.” This law would allow for police or family members to ask a state court to temporarily take away firearms from a person who might be a danger to themselves or others. State Representative Matthew Wilson told Fox 5 that people on both sides of the aisle want this bill.
That’s troubling to me. It’s not surprising, of course. Red flag measures are the gun control bill most likely to be backed by Republicans, in part because it’s not as potentially egregious as some other measures. It may impact law-abiding citizens, some might argue, but only on a temporary basis.
However, real harm can be caused by these measures. Plus, we know they can be used vindictively. We’ve already have a couple of examples. The last thing Georgia needs are a few examples of our own. Yet the question is, just how likely is this bill to really pass? Is Wilson just deluding himself?
Well, maybe.
HB 435 has a whopping six co-sponsors as of this writing. Further, all six are Democrats from around the Atlanta area. None of them represent the more rural parts of the state, areas which are less likely to support any kind of gun control. These are just six Democrats out of a chamber with 180 members.