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Bill aiming to keep guns from children fails in Georgia House subcommittee
The epidemic of gun violence killing young people in both Metro Atlanta and the rest of Georgia is the focus of a new proposal at the State Capitol. House Bill 161 aims to make it a crime for people who let their guns fall into the hands of an unsupervised child if someone ends up hurt or killed.
ATLANTA - A new bill that proposes stricter consequences for gun owners whose guns fall into the hands of unsupervised kids did not gain enough support to advance beyond a subcommittee at a hearing Thursday.
The bill was introduced by Rep. Michelle Au after more than 85 children and teens were shot in metro Atlanta last year, including a two-year-old victim.
"More than half the gun deaths in children and teens in this country could be averted by the safe storage of firearms," Au said. "Everyone can now see this is straightforward, common sense public safety policy, which is precisely what the majority of Georgians want to keep our children safe."
A new bill that proposes stricter consequences for gun owners whose guns fall into the hands of unsupervised kids did not gain enough support to advance beyond a subcommittee at a hearing Thursday.
The legislation would punish individuals who let their guns fall into the hands of unsupervised children, resulting in harm or death caused by the gun. If passed, the legislation would make it a misdemeanor and a $5,000 fine if someone's gun falls into a child's hands and causes harm or death.
Mike Webb, who lost his 18-year-old son to a self-inflicted shooting and his wife Xiaojie Tan in the Atlanta spa shootings 20 years later, testified before a Georgia House subcommittee on Thursday in support of the bill.
Webb's son took his own life 20 years ago after grabbing a gun. He also lost his former wife to gun violence two years ago in the Atlanta spa shootings.
"Jared grabbed a shotgun. In only a few seconds, ran outside and killed himself," he said.
Dr. Sofia Chaudhary, an Atlanta pediatric urgent care physician, stated that she has seen countless children die from improperly stored firearms. She also mentioned that those who survive are left with lifelong disabilities and mental health consequences.
However, the bill faced opposition from gun lobbyists, including Alex Dorr, the Georgia Gun Owners’ Political Director.
(Credit: Georgia House of Representatives)
Dorr referred to the bill as the "criminal empowerment act of 2023," claiming that only criminals benefit from it.
"The radical left hates safety," said Dorr. "They hate everything."
Despite the opposition, Representative Au was proud that the Republican-controlled committee at least heard the bill, and plans to reintroduce it next year.
"It is our intention in the second year of the biennium to continue advancing the Pediatric Health Safe Storage Act—up to a House and Senate vote, and then to the Governor’s desk for his signature," she said in a statement to FOX 5.
The CDC reported that in 2020, guns were the leading cause of death for children, teens, and young adults. 23 other states, including Florida and Texas, have similar laws mandating that gun owners keep their guns away from unsupervised children.
Mike Webb testified before a Georgia House subcommittee. (Credit: Georgia House of Representatives)
Webb emphasized the importance of setting politics aside, hoping that the bill will save at least one child's life.
"I’m not a Democrat, I’m a gun owner. I’ve been a lifelong gun owner, I was raised in the south, hunting," he said. "[I] suggest we set the politics aside and just be parents and grandparents. Come on, who can disagree with this thing?"