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Gun rights groups are appealing a federal
judge's decision to dismiss a lawsuit that sought to allow
licensed gun owners to pack heat in parts of the world's busiest
airport.
U.S. District Judge Marvin Shoob tossed the
lawsuit on Friday, ruling that GeorgiaCarry.org failed to prove
that a new Georgia law would allow weapons into unsecured areas of
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
State Rep. Tim Bearden, a Republican who
co-sponsored the law, said Monday the ruling came as "no
surprise" and that the advocacy group is preparing an appeal.
City of Atlanta officials, meanwhile,
celebrated the judge's ruling with a statement that said the
airport "will continue to remain a safe, secure, gun-free
environment, for its almost 90 million passengers a year."
The legal showdown erupted when a new state
law that allows people with a gun permit to carry guns into
restaurants, state parks and on public transportation took effect
on July 1.
Atlanta officials quickly declared the
airport a "gun-free zone" and warned that anyone
carrying a gun there would be arrested. GeorgiaCarry.org then sued
the city and the airport, claiming that the airport qualifies as
public transportation under the new state law.
City attorneys argued in court that allowing
some residents to carry guns at the airport could pose a threat to
passengers. Even an accidental firearm discharge, they warned,
could cause mayhem.
Gun rights advocates argued that the
Legislature intended the law to allow residents with permits to
take their guns into airport terminals, parking lots and other
unsecured areas.
In a 14-page ruling, Shoob sharply rejected
the gun rights group's claims. The ordinary definition of
"public transportation" does not include airports, he
wrote, and there's no clear evidence that Georgia legislators
intended the law to apply to airports.
It was a stinging defeat for
GeorgiaCarry.org, a two-year-old advocacy group which bills itself
as a "no-compromise voice for gun owners."
But Bearden, a former police officer, said
he is hopeful the argument will fare better in the 11th Circuit
Court of Appeals.
"We're doing everything we can to
protect the rights of law-abiding citizens from criminals,"
he said.
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