Deal dips into history to veto campus carry

Gov. Nathan Deal has made good use of his veto pen this year. Last month he vetoed House Bill 757, the so-called “Religious Liberty Bill,” saying in his announcement of the veto, “Our people work side by side without regard to the color of our skin, or the religion we adhere to. We are working to make life better for our families and our communities. That is the character of Georgia. I intend to do my part to keep it that way. For that reason, I will veto HB 757.”

Then late Tuesday, another decision had to be made on House Bill 859, the “Campus Carry Bill,” which would have allowed anyone with a concealed carry permit to have a weapon on any state college or university campus, with few exceptions, such as at sporting events or student housing. With the clock ticking down, the governor had to decide between one of three choices: He could sign the bill into law, let it pass without his signature or veto it. He chose the veto.

The governor went back to an eight-year-old U.S. Supreme Court case: District of Columbia v. Heller, where Justice Antonin Scalia wrote, “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. From Blackstone through the 19th century cases, commentators and courts routinely explained that the right was not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever and for whatever purpose.” Scalia went on to state, “nothing in our opinion should be taken to cast doubt on … laws forbidding the carrying of firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings …” The governor used other historical references in announcing his veto as well.

He also issued an executive order directing the Commissioner of the Technical College System of Georgia and the Chancellor of the University System of Georgia to submit a report detailing the security measures around their institutions by Aug. 1.

The governor has taken two bold steps. Both, in our opinion, were the right steps to take. The first will keep Georgia’s economic engine humming, and the second will keep weapons away from where they ought not be.

This story was originally published May 3, 2016 at 10:08 PM with the headline "Deal dips into history to veto campus carry."