In a decisive victory for Second Amendment advocates, Georgia lawmakers have slammed the door on Savannah Mayor Van Johnson’s push for a gun storage ordinance that would have slapped fines and penalties on victims of vehicle break-ins—essentially punishing law-abiding gun owners for the crimes of thieves. The proposed rule, which mirrored nanny-state measures in cities like Atlanta and Chicago, demanded secure storage of firearms in parked cars, even though data from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation shows that over 80% of gun thefts occur during smash-and-grab burglaries targeting unlocked vehicles. Lawmakers in the state House and Senate rejected the measure outright, recognizing it as a backdoor assault on carry rights that ignores the real issue: lax prosecution of criminals, not responsible owners.
This isn’t just a local win; it’s a blueprint for 2A resilience nationwide. Savannah’s ordinance was a classic Trojan horse—framed as “common-sense safety” but designed to erode the practical exercise of self-defense rights under Georgia’s robust constitutional carry laws (HB 218 from 2022). By criminalizing unsecured guns in cars, it would have funneled thousands into municipal coffers via fines while diverting attention from rising theft rates, which spiked 15% in coastal Georgia last year per FBI stats. Pro-2A groups like the Georgia Carry Association mobilized swiftly, flooding legislators with testimony that highlighted how such rules disarm the vulnerable—like rideshare drivers or late-night shift workers—without deterring a single crook. Kudos to Rep. Kacey Carpenter and Sen. Frank Ginn for championing the rejection, proving that state preemption laws (Georgia Code § 16-11-173) remain a bulwark against urban gun-grabbers.
The implications ripple far: as blue-city mayors test boundaries post-Bruen, this smackdown signals to Atlanta, Chicago, and Philly that federal court victories like Rahimi aren’t invitations for local sabotage. It reinforces that gun rights aren’t negotiable concessions—thieves don’t follow storage rules, but they do flee armed citizens. For the 2A community, lock your cars, support preemption bills in your state, and celebrate: one less chain on your holster. Stay vigilant; the war on carry never sleeps.
