Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (R) issued a coronavirus shelter-in-place order that exempts gun stores, considering them an essential business.
The order, which took took effect on April 3, 2020, at 6 p.m., explicitly states, “Nothing in this Order shall be construed to suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of firearms or ammunition, or any component thereof.”
As of 2014, governors of Georgia face strict limitations on the exercise of emergency powers in regard to the exercise of the Second Amendment.
Jerry Henry, executive director of Georgia Carry, told Breitbart News:
Prior to July 1, 2014, the governor had the power embedded in his emergency powers act to prevent the sale of firearms and ammo, as well as prevent Georgia citizens from carrying a firearm during a declared emergency. This left the citizens most vulnerable at a time when their only defense would come from within.
GeorgiaCarry.Org worked for six years to get this provision removed from the governor’s powers act, which culminated with HB 60 being passed and signed into law in 2014. We are very proud of having this listed as one of our many accomplishments in the restoration of our Second Amendment rights in Georgia.
Moreover, on March 28, 2020, the Trump Administration released guidelines concerning essential business, and those guidelines listed gun retailers and manufacturers as essential.
AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.
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