The state of Georgia's stalled gun control debate
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
March for Our Lives is coming to Atlanta on Saturday.
What's happening: This weekend, hundreds of demonstrations calling for tighter gun control will be held across the country. The event is organized by March for Our Lives, a student-led group founded in the wake of the 2018 Parkland school shooting.
Details: In the metro area, a march is scheduled to start at 1pm Saturday at Ebenezer Baptist Church. Others are happening in Snellville, Marietta and Gainesville.
Yes, but: In Georgia, the debate remains stalled.
State of play: Gov. Brian Kemp, who shepherded the state's permitless carry measure into law this year, has not spoken about gun control as a possible response to the recent shootings. In remarks Monday to a group of Georgia school resource officers, he spoke solely about school safety measures and mental health support.
- Kemp highlighted nearly $70 million in school security grants included in his 2019 budget, as well as the new sweeping mental health reform law.
- Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, on the other hand, said he’s ready for "a conservative and comprehensive conversation about changing the trajectory of gun violence," but he isn’t running for re-election.
Meanwhile, in Washington, Senators Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock told the AJC they're allowing bipartisan negotiations to continue without calling for specifics. Warnock did say it would amount to a "moral failure" if the Senate ended up with nothing.
- The House on Thursday passed a bill with Republican support, sponsored by Rep. Lucy McBath (D-Ga.) to create a federal "red flag" or risk protection law.
What we're watching: With a stalled conversation in Georgia, all eyes remain on the Senate negotiations. Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) told CNN a vote on a deal could happen this month.