Georgia House Democrats urged Gov. Brian Kemp Friday to call a special session of the General Assembly to take up gun safety legislation following Wednesday’s school shooting in Barrow County that left four dead and injured nine others.
Democratic lawmakers introduced a series of bills during the 2023-24 legislative term either encouraging or requiring Georgians to lock their firearms and store them in a secure location, but none made any headway.
“Not one bill had a hearing. Not one had a chance to make it through to the governor’s desk,” House Minority Leader James Beverly, D-Macon, said during a news conference at the state Capitol.
“These bills would address the health-care crisis of the gun epidemic. … But we can’t even begin to have these conversations.”
A 14-year-old student was arrested at Apalachee High School near Winder Wednesday after a shooting spree that killed two teachers and two students. Colt Gray, who allegedly used an AR-15 rifle with a collapsible stock, was arraigned Friday on four counts of felony murder.
The suspect’s father, Colin Gray, also faces charges of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and cruelty to children for allowing his son to possess the weapon, Georgia Bureau of Investigation Director Chris Hosey said.
The House did pass one gun safety measure during this year’s legislative session, a Republican-backed measure offering tax credits to Georgians who buy firearm storage devices such as trigger locks or gun safes.
After passing the House 162-3 in late February, House Bill 971 cleared the Senate Finance Committee. But it failed to reach the Senate floor for a vote.
House Democrats said failing to pass any of the safe firearm storage bills before the General Assembly during the last two years was a missed opportunity on the part of majority Republicans that could have prevented Wednesday’s tragedy.
“We had the policy tools to prevent this from happening,” said Rep. Saira Draper, D-Atlanta. “Inaction will mean more shootings, more devastation, more deaths. … Every day that goes by is a day we’re telling the people of Georgia we’re beholden to the gun lobby.”
Emotion boiled over during Friday’s news conference, with a couple of parents in the audience saying they’re afraid to send their children to school, citing emails from school administrators warning of threats of further violence.
Rep. Michelle Au, D-Johns Creek, said the 78 House Democrats need the support of just 13 Republican lawmakers to pass gun safety legislation.
The partisan crowd assembled on the Capitol steps behind the speakers erupted in a chant of “Vote Them Out!” aimed at Republican House members running for reelection in November.
Kemp’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call for a special session.
