Georgia Republicans want the mentally ill to have more guns
by David Atkins
Remember all that Republican sturm und drang in the wake of Sandy Hook about how it isn't guns that kill people, but just the mentally ill? Well, Georgia Republicans beg to disagree even about that:
While some states push to tighten gun control laws after the Connecticut school massacre, lawmakers in gun-friendly Georgia want to ease rules preventing some mentally ill people from getting licenses to carry firearms.
Georgia's House voted 117-56 on Thursday to allow people who have voluntarily sought inpatient treatment for mental illness or substance abuse to get licenses.
"Simply being hospitalized doesn't make a person a criminal or a threat," said Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, the bill sponsor. The legislation now heads to the state Senate.
The same bill would force officials to check on whether applicants have received involuntary treatment in the past five years before issuing licenses. Georgia also might change its laws to allow people to carry guns in churches, bars and on college campuses.
Out of touch doesn't even begin to describe this.
It was a party-line vote, by the way. But hey, I'm sure Georgia Republicans would be much more reasonable if only Democrats would compromise more. Then we could have real bipartisanship!
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