Update: Another state enacts guns-in-the-workplace law
May 27, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: Here comes the judge, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
The question, once again, is whether employees have the right to keep guns locked in their cars while at work. Another state has legislated the matter.
We told you a while ago about a new Florida law that would prohibit employers from banning employees from keeping guns in their locked vehicles at work.
Now, Georgia has enacted a similar measure. Residents there who lawfully own a concealed weapon may store them in locked vehicles in the parking lots of their employers.
Georgia’s new law doesn’t apply to prisons, public utilities or Defense contractors located on a U.S. military base or within one mile of an airport. Parking lots near energy facilities or water storage are also exempt.
Meanwhile, the Florida Chamber of Commerce and Florida Retail Federation have filed suit in federal court seeking to block the Sunshine State’s law before it goes into effect July 1.
Oklahoma businesses were successful in blocking a similar law in that state via their case in federal court.
One more note about the new Georgia law: The state representatives and senators who crafted the law apparently don’t want guns around when they’re working. The measure prohibits weapons at political rallies and publicly owned or operated buildings which would include state government buildings where they work.
Tags: Florida, Georgia, guns at work, new law
May 30th, 2008 at 10:24 am
If any of these companies fretting about this issue have anyone in their employ they are actually concerned about, they need to be dealing with that individual, now. If any of them is so foolish as to actually believe some words on paper mean that an individual they might be concerned about would NOT have immediate access to a weapon, they need to be dealing with themselves, now. One more, ten more, nor a thousand more “gunrules” have, and will, do nothing (Press 2 for “Nada,” Press 3 for “Rein,” Press…) It is a source of unending amazement and incredulity how otherwise capable people can not only seek refuge in wishful thinking and meaningless gestures, but will even invest substantial resources of time and effort demanding others do so, as well, rather than deal with the fact that the willingness to commit violence is what we have to deal with, and delusions of a quick fix by throwing words at the almost limitless means by which people do so just sucks time and energy from any actually effective efforts.
May 30th, 2008 at 10:57 am
ABOUT TIME! (Although the range of 1 mile from an airpost seems unconstitutionally excessive, considering that people ship guns THRU airports all the time.) If you can’t TRUST your employees, FIRE them.
May 30th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Amen Dale!
Robbers and murderers do not disarm at doorways that state “no guns allowed” it only reassures them that they will have free reign to do what they want until someone else with a gun shows up. Just like at Virginia Tech.
November 7th, 2008 at 2:30 pm
My problem with these laws is it forces me to allow someone to carry a gun onto my property. Will the next step now be that I cannot ask someone carrying a gun to leave it outside when they come into my house? Say I am having a party at my house and invite 20 people. One of these people, unknown to me, carries a gun. If I tell them they cannot come into the party unless they get rid of the gun, am I infringing their rights?
My second problem is the restrictions. OK, confusing maybe that I say the law is both too broad and too narrow. If carrying a gun is a right protected by the constitution, it is a right everywhere. You cannot say the office worker has a right to pack, but the identical worker across the street doesn’t because they work in a government building is total stupidy. If this is a right guaranteed by the constitution, then it has to be guaranteed everywhere – the school, the courthouse, the airport.