Local news reports
Glynn County’s politically conservative commissioners generally support gun rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the Constitution.
But they disagree with a law that Georgia’s General Assembly adopted that gave residents the right to carry firearms into government buildings. The County Commission decided that the law, which went into effect July 1, goes too far and has banned guns at the Historic Courthouse during its bi-monthly meetings.
“I don’t want people to carry guns into our meetings,” Commission Chairman Michael Browning said. “I may be a little older, but I can still duck pretty fast. But it’s not about me. We have to protect the people.”
The gun ban went into effect last month and now the commission will have to decide how far it wants it to reach. Currently, it only applies to the commission’s regular meetings but could be extended to cover periodic work sessions or even to prohibit guns at all times in all county buildings.
Strickland emphasized that the commission was not trying to make a political statement by initiating the ban.
“I’m a big proponent of the Second Amendment right to bear arms,” he said, “but it has become a safety issue. Our top priority is the safety of the public, our staff and the commissioners.”
