A new Georgia gun law stirred controversy after it was signed by the state's Governor on Wednesday, with the gun's nickname revealing everything opponents feel about it in three words.
Officially titled the "Safe Carry Protection Act," the law gives licensed gun owners more freedom to carrying weapons in public areas than at any other time in the last 100 years, NBC News reported. Opponents of the bill have dubbed it "Guns Everywhere Bill," calling attention to what they say is a law that takes gun rights to the extreme.
"I think this bill is reckless," Stephanie Stone, whose son was shot and killed after an armed robbery a little over a year ago, told NBC News. "I think it's dangerous and irresponsible."
Signed by Governor Nathan Deal, the law permits guns to be carried inside public places like bars and government buildings that do not have security stations. Licensed owners will no longer face charges for accidentally bringing guns to a security checkpoint at an airport. School districts are also allowed to let staff carry weapons, NBC News reported.
The law, which goes into effect in July, is "the most extreme gun bill in America," according to the group Americans for Responsible Solutions, which lobbied against the bill. The group was co-founded by former congresswoman Gabby Giffords, who suffered a severe brain injury after being shot in the head in Arizona in 2011.
The most dangerous part of the bill, opponents argue, will strengthen the state's "stand your ground" law. Felons who shoot and kill someone in self-defense can now claim they were standing their ground, according to NBC News.
But one group, Georgia Carry, which pushed for the bill's passing, said the so-called new "stand your ground" part is "nothing new." Felons always had the freedom to claim the law, such as if they defend themselves with a baseball bat, the group's executive director, Jerry Henry, told NBC News.
The new bill makes Georgia the ninth state to loosen its gun laws this year.
