Poised to Pass: S.B. 291:
A Good Bill Needs Tiny Amendment

Radio Commentary, WMVV 90.7 New Life FM, April 23, 2010
By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. On the last day of the 2009 session, Senator David Shafer introduced S.B. 291 to revise gun-carry laws for concealed weapons and it passed the Senate 43 – 10 on March 24th of this year. Senator Shafer’s bill would allow licensed weapons to be carried in vehicles while dropping off or picking up passengers at airports or airport facilities. Gun carriers with permits could renew licenses with the county probate judge by paying a $15 fee at least 45 days the expiration date. Background checks would be done by the GBI on licensees who are U.S. citizens, but U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement must verify the renewal eligibility of non-citizens.

If S.B. 291 passes, it would prohibit the confiscation or seizure of guns by state and local government and the National Guard during a declared state of emergency. And, if a representative of the government DOES confiscate or require anyone to take licensed firearms, the owner could file a lawsuit, knowing his attorney fees would be paid.

But, S.B. 291 is the victim of the movement to quietly replace the word “sex” with “gender,” in every law that identifies individuals by sex, because “gender” has a much broader definition. “Gender” expands male and female identities to various subdivisions based on behavior and preference, instead of anatomy. Currently, gender includes at least seven sexual preferences – L, G, B, T, Q, A, I (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, allies, and intersex). Now, take a minute to think about how much confusion and cultural problems that would cause.

Senator Shafer agreed that the word “gender” should be removed from his bill and he plans to do it. Then, S.B. 291 must continue through he process. If the changes require a conference committee to decide the final version, three senators and three senators will be appointed to agree on compromise language.

Georgians would experience a horrendous moral upheaval if all our laws were changed this way. Remember this, “Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty,” and being eternally vigilant is not the easiest thing to do. For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.