The state of Georgia’s law prohibiting adults under the age of 21 from possessing or carrying handguns in public will remain in effect, following a unanimous ruling by the Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday. The decision stems from a lawsuit filed by 20-year-old Thomas Stephens, backed by gun rights advocacy group Georgia 2nd Amendment, after Stephens was denied a weapons carry license by a probate court. Stephens argued that the law violated Article I, Section I, Paragraph VIII of the Georgia Constitution, which guarantees the right to bear arms. The Supreme Court rejected Stephens’ challenge, affirming the trial court’s decision. They ruled that the law does not infringe upon the state constitutional right to bear arms, citing the provision that allows the General Assembly to regulate how firearms are carried. While Stephens urged the court to reconsider past rulings based on recent federal court decisions and to apply a “reasonable exercise of police power” test, the justices declined. The court emphasized that Stephens did not argue the law violated the Second Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. In their ruling, the justices concluded that Stephens failed to demonstrate that the challenged law clearly contradicted Paragraph VIII of the Georgia Constitution, nor did he provide evidence that the original public meaning of the paragraph differed from the court’s historical interpretation allowing for firearms regulations. The existing law, therefore, remains in force.