Last Updated On: 12/10/2010 10:17:12 AMATLANTA -- The mayor doesn't like it, but the city is no longer stopping people with legal weapon permits from carrying their weapons into Hartsfield-Jackson airport.
"The fact of the matter is, we're complying with state law, so it's not something where we had a choice," said Mayor Kasim Reed.
The city quietly changed its enforcement after attorneys re-read a state law enacted this year. SB 308 eases restrictions on weapons in public places.
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For a couple of years, the Atlanta airport has been a symbolic battleground, pitting Second Amendment purists against those who feel only police officers should legally carry weapons inside the airport.
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It turns out the city now interprets the language in SB 308 to also allow permit-holding gun owners to carry in the airport.
"It's a good day," said Henry.
http://www.11alive.com/rss/rss_story.aspx?storyid=167490 An earlier report:
Firearms Allowed at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson AirportPosted May 4th 2010 01:43 PMLawmakers in Georgia have approved a bill that would allow gun owners to carry licensed firearms in parts of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
USA Today reported the airport strongly opposes the bill, which would permit the carrying of firearms in areas not controlled by the federal government, such as terminals, drop off and pick up areas, baggage areas, and parking lots.
The legislation expands on a law passed in 2008 that allows Georgia residents with firearm licenses to bring concealed weapons into public places such as parks and recreational areas, restaurants, and onto public transportation.
http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/05/04/atlanta-airport-firearms-bill/