Stacey Abrams came a lot closer to being the next governor of Georgia than I thought she would. Governor Brian Kemp won, but it was a tightly fought campaign and one that took far too long to be declared.

Apparently, Abrams’ near win and the victory by Lucy McBath for the House has emboldened Georgia Democrats to push for gun control in one of the most pro-gun states in the nation.

Georgia’s Democratic lawmakers have filed a flurry of bills this session that take nearly every possible approach to enacting more gun control in the state.

The proposals include efforts to require those who apply for gun licenses to get hands-on training before they carry concealed weapons, repeal the campus gun bill that was approved in 2017, and rid the state of a law that requires records be purged after five years for those who were involuntarily hospitalized for mental health treatment.

The proposals flowing into the legislative hoppers are likely futile.

Each legislative session lawmakers introduce similar legislation that would promote what they call “safe gun ownership.” And each year, none see the light of day.

Still, Democrats aren’t giving up, state Sen. Emanuel Jones said.

“We’re going to keep talking about it, and eventually someone will realize the value of these proposals,” the Ellenwood Democrat said.

There is no value to these proposals. It’s nothing more than a blatant attempt to infringe on the Second Amendment rights of Georgians with measures that do absolutely nothing to protect anyone.

Training requirements create an opportunity for barriers that prevent the lawful carrying of firearms to be constructed, for example. That’s why so many Georgians oppose these measures.

While Democrats in the state claim their proposals are popular, most folks on the streets don’t care all that much. If they do, they make a kneejerk reaction and say they support it until they realize the state has never required training and guess what? It’s never been an issue.

Yet Democrats delude themselves into thinking this is a winning strategy.

“It is part of our strategy to retake Georgia,” Jones said. Republicans have controlled the Legislature and the Governor’s Mansion since 2005. “It lets our constituency know what side we’re on,” he said.

Freshman state Sen. Sally Harrell, an Atlanta Democrat, said it was important that the first bill she filed was to reverse a 2017 law that allows people with state licenses to carry firearms on many parts of public college campuses.

“This law is wildly unpopular,” she said. “During my campaign, parents, students, and professors told me they feel less safe knowing kids can have guns in schools.”

Doesn’t Harrell’s comment say it all?

First, kids can’t have guns in schools. There is nothing in the law that permits children from even owning guns, much less carrying them.

Unless, of course, she’s talking about legal adults who are 21-years-old or older who happen to have a carry permit, meaning you’ve also been through all the background checks required.

Harrell is blatantly misrepresenting what the law allows in an effort to gin up support for a measure that keeps people safe on college campuses. There’s far less chance of something like the Virginia Tech shooting happening on a Georgia campus simply because there are lawful adults on the premises, often with handguns and a willingness to defend the lives of others.

But note that Georgia Democrats aren’t talking about that?

Luckily, even if they could get any of this to a vote, it’s not likely to pass. Even if that unlikely event also happened, it would have to be signed by Kemp who isn’t likely to back any of these measures.

In other words, it’s an exercise in futility. Unfortunately, though, it’s one that you have to guard against because these Democrats are making it very clear that they’re not interested in what’s best for Georgians, only in toeing the party line on guns.