Georgia lawmakers gave final passage early Friday morning to a measure legalizing guns on the state’s public college and university campuses, sending it to Gov. Nathan Deal for his signature.
House Bill 280 would allow anyone with a concealed weapons permit to carry firearms on public college and university campuses, with exceptions that include dormitories, fraternity and sorority houses, and buildings used for athletic events. On-campus child care centers would also be excluded, as would areas on some college campuses where high school students attend class.
House and Senate negotiators met for less than an hour Thursday evening hashing out final details. According to a copy of their report handed out in the chambers, negotiators added additional exemptions to the bill that include more areas on campus including classrooms used by high school students in dual enrollment programs; and offices or rooms used for disciplinary hearings.
The agreement appears to also include an additional exemption requested by Gov. Nathan Deal, who vetoed a similar measure last year: professor or instructor offices.
Deal vetoed a similar measure last year that did not have those exemptions, which he requested.
