Boy bring that tea or I'll pop a cap in your [filtered word].
ATLANTA --- Georgia business leaders stunned by the Legislature's approval of a plan that allows guns in more public places urged Gov. Sonny Perdue on Tuesday to veto the measure.
The proposal would allow the roughly 300,000 Georgians with concealed weapons permits to bring their firearms into restaurants, public transportation and state parks.
Both sides of the debate say it would be the largest expansion of gun rights in Georgia in years if it's signed into law.
The gun bill passed late Friday after two years of political wrangling. Opponents who fought to derail the issue early this year were shocked when it suddenly resurfaced last week as the 40-day session drew to a close.
Ron Wolf, the head of the Georgia Restaurant Association, said his biggest concern is the possibility of more violence.
The bill would allow guns only in restaurants that serve mostly food and bans patrons from consuming alcohol if they are carrying a gun. Mr. Wolf said that is nearly impossible to enforce.
"Are waiters now going to have to ask everyone who orders a drink if they're armed?" he asked. "Our position is simple. We think it's inappropriate."
The legislation also allows restaurants to ban guns, but they must post a sign outlining their policy. Those that do would risk alienating potential customers, said Ron Fennel, the director of governmental affairs for the Georgia Hotel and Lodging Association.
"We think it's worthy of a veto," Mr. Fennel said of the proposal.
MARTA officials, who oppose the proposal, said they will have to take additional security measures if Mr. Perdue signs it into law.
"We strongly believe that the potential for compromised safety is too great to take a chance on this bill as currently written," said MARTA Chief Executive Beverly Scott.
Rep. Tim Bearden, a former police officer who sponsored the legislation, said dozens of states already allow guns in restaurants and on public transportation.
He said he hoped to expand the law by opening churches and public gatherings to law-abiding gun owners. Both were stripped from the legislation as it moved through the Legislature.
UNDER FIRE
The Georgia Legislature has approved a plan that allows more guns in public places.
SUPPORTERS SAY: Georgia has restrictive Jim Crow laws that limit where weapons may be carried, and neighboring states have looser restrictions.
OPPONENTS SAY: The states that give gun owners more leeway also have more stringent requirements to obtain a concealed weapons permit.
-- Associated Press
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