Cobb Reporter

The Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee approved legislation on Feb. 1 that would allow citizens to carry a firearm without a permit or a license.

Atlanta’s FOX5 reported that the bill is now in the hands of the Senate Rules Committee, which will decide when it’ll go to the Senate floor.

State Sen. Jason Anavitarte (R-Dallas) said criminals will access guns regardless, but permitless carry could prompt them to have second thoughts about attacking potential targets.

"The requirement to have a permit does not deter nor disincentive a criminal from carrying a firearm concealed," Anavitarte, a co-sponsor of the legislation, told the committee before the bill’s passage, FOX5 reported. "They will do it regardless. Permitless carry gives criminals a reason to fear that any potential victim could be armed."

Committee members listened to testimony from proponents and opponents before the vote.

The measure’s supporters vouched for the Second Amendment while critics claim gun rights aren’t absolute.

Democratic Sen. Elena Parent, who represents portions of DeKalb County, quizzed Anavitarte about the exclusion of background checks from the bill, to which the Republican lawmaker countered better investment in law enforcement and policing would address concerns about gun violence and safety.

FOX5 reported that Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, supports the bill, echoing GOP assertions that Georgians have the right to own a gun and must be able to protect their families.

Current state law requires Georgians to possess a weapons carry license (WCL) in order to have a concealed weapon in public, according to the station.

Applications for a WCL can be submitted to a county probate court.

To qualify, residents must pass a criminal background check, remit $75 and provide fingerprints.

The application process isn’t available to convicted felons or anyone who has been hospitalized for mental health problems or committed to a rehabilitation facility for drug addiction or alcoholism.