Georgia Lawmakers Seek to Overturn Savannah’s Gun Ban in Unlocked Vehicles

On Tuesday, Georgia lawmakers took a significant step by passing a bill aimed at nullifying a city ordinance in Savannah that imposes fines and potential jail time for leaving firearms in unlocked vehicles. This legislation, which received final approval from the state Senate, asserts that local governments cannot regulate the storage of firearms.

The new measure also empowers gun owners to sue local authorities that enact such regulations, allowing them to claim a minimum of $25,000 in damages if they prevail in court. Senate Bill 204 is now awaiting the signature or veto of Governor Brian Kemp.

In 2024, Savannah’s Mayor Van Johnson and the city council unanimously voted to prohibit the storage of firearms in unlocked vehicles, establishing penalties that could reach up to $1,000 in fines and 30 days in jail. The intent behind this ordinance was to deter gun thefts in a state where lawmakers have largely removed restrictions on gun ownership and carrying.

However, this regulation has sparked outrage among gun rights advocates, who argue that it effectively punishes gun owners whose firearms are stolen. “Ultimately what Savannah was doing was regulating citizens’ right to have a gun in their car,” stated former state Senator Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton. He emphasized that victims of car break-ins should not be treated as criminals for having their guns stolen.

Moore announced his resignation from the Senate on the same day the bill passed, as he is running for the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In response to the bill’s passage, Mayor Johnson indicated that if Governor Kemp signs it into law, the city will cease issuing citations for the ordinance. “Obviously we’re going to comply with the law,” Johnson remarked in a phone interview. “So should the governor sign it, we won’t enforce that ordinance anymore. But there might be other ordinances that come forth.” He refrained from specifying what other gun safety measures might be considered.

Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, has defended the gun ordinance as a means of encouraging responsible behavior among gun owners without infringing on their rights. He noted that since the ordinance’s implementation, reported gun thefts from unlocked vehicles in Savannah have decreased by 30%.

“It’s a sad thing that the General Assembly says over 200 guns stolen from unlocked vehicles is OK,” the mayor commented.

Under existing Georgia law, local governments are already prohibited from regulating firearm “possession, ownership, transport, carrying, transfer, sale, purchase (or) licensing.” Savannah officials have maintained that their ordinance was focused on the storage of firearms, a point that state lawmakers have now explicitly addressed by adding the term “storage” to the law.

Gun control advocates have criticized the state legislature for overriding Savannah’s ordinance. Nolan Tanner, a volunteer with the Students Demand Action chapter at Jenkins High School in Savannah, expressed concern, stating, “Time and time again, young people in this state are told that our safety isn’t a priority. But this bill takes it a step further by actually punishing the cities that are stepping up to protect us when our state lawmakers won’t.”

In a related legal development, a Chatham County Recorder’s Court judge recently dismissed a case against a man cited for violating the Savannah ordinance, ruling that it contravened state law and the U.S. Constitution. However, this ruling applied only to the specific case of the defendant who challenged the ordinance.

Johnson has indicated that he is not concerned about the potential legal liabilities and fines outlined in the new bill, suggesting that they may not be retroactive.

Topics
Legislation
Georgia

On Tuesday, Georgia lawmakers took a significant step by passing a bill aimed at nullifying a city ordinance in Savannah that imposes fines and potential jail time for leaving firearms in unlocked vehicles. This legislation, which received final approval from the state Senate, asserts that local governments cannot regulate the storage of firearms.

The new measure also empowers gun owners to sue local authorities that enact such regulations, allowing them to claim a minimum of $25,000 in damages if they prevail in court. Senate Bill 204 is now awaiting the signature or veto of Governor Brian Kemp.

In 2024, Savannah’s Mayor Van Johnson and the city council unanimously voted to prohibit the storage of firearms in unlocked vehicles, establishing penalties that could reach up to $1,000 in fines and 30 days in jail. The intent behind this ordinance was to deter gun thefts in a state where lawmakers have largely removed restrictions on gun ownership and carrying.

However, this regulation has sparked outrage among gun rights advocates, who argue that it effectively punishes gun owners whose firearms are stolen. “Ultimately what Savannah was doing was regulating citizens’ right to have a gun in their car,” stated former state Senator Colton Moore, a Republican from Trenton. He emphasized that victims of car break-ins should not be treated as criminals for having their guns stolen.

Moore announced his resignation from the Senate on the same day the bill passed, as he is running for the congressional seat vacated by U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.

In response to the bill’s passage, Mayor Johnson indicated that if Governor Kemp signs it into law, the city will cease issuing citations for the ordinance. “Obviously we’re going to comply with the law,” Johnson remarked in a phone interview. “So should the governor sign it, we won’t enforce that ordinance anymore. But there might be other ordinances that come forth.” He refrained from specifying what other gun safety measures might be considered.

Johnson, a Democrat and former police officer, has defended the gun ordinance as a means of encouraging responsible behavior among gun owners without infringing on their rights. He noted that since the ordinance’s implementation, reported gun thefts from unlocked vehicles in Savannah have decreased by 30%.

“It’s a sad thing that the General Assembly says over 200 guns stolen from unlocked vehicles is OK,” the mayor commented.

Under existing Georgia law, local governments are already prohibited from regulating firearm “possession, ownership, transport, carrying, transfer, sale, purchase (or) licensing.” Savannah officials have maintained that their ordinance was focused on the storage of firearms, a point that state lawmakers have now explicitly addressed by adding the term “storage” to the law.

Gun control advocates have criticized the state legislature for overriding Savannah’s ordinance. Nolan Tanner, a volunteer with the Students Demand Action chapter at Jenkins High School in Savannah, expressed concern, stating, “Time and time again, young people in this state are told that our safety isn’t a priority. But this bill takes it a step further by actually punishing the cities that are stepping up to protect us when our state lawmakers won’t.”

In a related legal development, a Chatham County Recorder’s Court judge recently dismissed a case against a man cited for violating the Savannah ordinance, ruling that it contravened state law and the U.S. Constitution. However, this ruling applied only to the specific case of the defendant who challenged the ordinance.

Johnson has indicated that he is not concerned about the potential legal liabilities and fines outlined in the new bill, suggesting that they may not be retroactive.

Topics
Legislation
Georgia