Georgia lawmaker calls on commission to consider better gun safety laws to prevent child gun deaths

ATLANTA— A Georgia senator is trying to change the rules of a long-running partisan debate by saying he is not interested in restricting gun rights but in preventing children from being fatally shot.

The statement, made Tuesday by Decatur Democrat Emanuel Jones, echoes the strategies of those trying to curb gun violence in states where majorities in the legislature support liberal gun laws.

Jones told the first meeting of the Senate Safe Firearm Storage Study Committee that his goal is “not a gun bill,” but instead wants to build bipartisan support for improving gun safety. The committee heard ideas on tax breaks for gun owners who install safety devices; educational campaigns; and safe storage measures.

“One of the issues I was thinking about when I formed this study committee was what can we do to save as many children as possible from premature deaths related to guns in someone’s home that are not safely stored,” Jones said.

Everytown for Gun Safety, a national gun safety organization that develops strategies to reduce gun violence, says Georgia has one of the highest rates of unintentional shootings of children in the country.

Still, gun control is not a popular issue among Republicans in individual states.

Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s vocal stance on gun rights helped win him election and catapulted him to the national spotlight. In 2022, Kemp signed a bill that would allow the open carry of handguns without a state-issued permit.

Democrats tried to propose restrictive legislation, but resistance from Republicans prevented bolder proposals from being introduced.

This year, a bipartisan group of Georgia lawmakers tried to pass a gun safety bill that would offer a $300 tax credit to gun owners who have secure storage facilities — including gun safes and locks — and complete firearms safety courses.

The bill passed by a vote of 162 to 3 in the House of Representatives but was rejected in the Senate.

Republican Sen. Frank Ginn of Danielsville, who said he is a longtime member of the National Rifle Association, said he wants to make sure Georgia does not jeopardize the rights of gun owners.

“I think a firearm is like a parachute. You only need it when you need it, and if you don’t have it, you don’t need it,” Ginn said.

Sen. Marty Harbin, a Tyrone Republican and member of the committee, said locking up firearms does not necessarily prevent children from shooting themselves or others.

“The lockdown was not meant to stop their decision,” Harbin said.

Harbin said parents are not doing enough to supervise their children, declaring that “families are in crisis.” He suggested that chaplains could be placed in schools to help resolve difficulties at home.

The gun safety problem is compounded: In 2022, Atlanta had the second-highest number of gun thefts from vehicles compared to any other city in the country, according to Everytown.

In May, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr reprimanded Savannah officials for an ordinance that prohibited residents from storing firearms in unlocked cars. Carr, a Republican, said the measure violated Georgia law. But this month, Savannah police began enforcing the ordinance, The Savannah Morning News reported.

Several states, including Rhode Island, Michigan and North Carolina, have enacted gun safety laws, and Atlanta officials recently held an event to hand out drive-thru gun boxes.

During Monday’s Democratic National Convention, President Joe Biden pledged to take action on gun safety, but emphasized that gun violence is a leading cause of death among children.

“This is not just a Georgia problem,” Jones said during the committee hearing. “As the president said in his speech last night, this is a national problem.”

A 2023 AP-NORC poll found that most people want stricter gun control, and both Republicans and Democrats believe gun violence is too common.

Jones told The Associated Press he was optimistic about the renewed effort. He was particularly excited about the idea of ​​giving companies tax incentives to give away gun locks and other gun-safety devices.

“We get closer every year,” Jones said.

Mike Webb, a Georgia parent and longtime gun owner, told the commission that his 18-year-old son took his own life more than two decades ago with a gun. Three years ago, his ex-wife and his daughter’s mother were among eight people killed in shootings at several Atlanta-area spas.

“Let’s stop trying to create panic by hyperventilating about some nonexistent, diabolical plan to take away our guns,” Webb said. “Let’s do something productive for change.”

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Charlotte Kramon is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on underreported issues. Follow Kramon on X: @charlottekramon