MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. — The future of a controversial bill related to guns on Georgia’s college campuses may rest in the hands of the state’s governor, but students still have plenty to say when it comes to how the measure could affect their daily lives both in and out of the classroom.

For the second consecutive year, legislators passed a bill awaiting Gov. Nathan Deal’s signature that would allow those with permits to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.

In Milledgeville, Georgia at Georgia College, less than an hour from Macon, senior Jonathan Golden, said the issue with Georgia’s campus carry legislation isn’t a matter of “where” but rather “who.”

“I think it’s one of those things that’s not a bad idea, but it’s not a great idea,” the Roswell, Georgia, native said. “There’s definitely people that, I think, could carry on campus and I would almost want them to. I have a friend who’s a combat medic and I know some military guys. I think guys like that who have been trained, if they were carrying, I’d feel comfortable with that. But I think the fact that you don’t have to go through training to get a handgun, people like that who aren’t trained and aren’t responsible could be carrying on campus and should something happen [it] could make the situation worse. I think it could be a great idea, but there needs to be some regulations on who is carrying.”

A deal on the state’s House Bill 280, or “campus carry” as it’s become known, was reached early Friday morning at the capitol. Deal vetoed similar legislation last year, saying he would like to see a few more areas of campuses excluded than were being offered at the time. Those areas excluded in last year’s version were student housing and athletic facilities. State lawmakers are hoping they have appeased the governor with additional exclusions of on-campus daycares, administrative offices or areas where disciplinary hearings are held, and buildings where high school classes are held on campus.

The bill states that those caught carrying in any of the excluded areas are guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to a $25 fine provided it is a first offense.

Gov. Deal now has less than 40 days to decide whether or not to sign the bill into law.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Georgia is one of 17 states that does not allow handguns on land owned or leased by postsecondary institutions. Nine states do allow campus carry while the other 24 allow the each entity to decide.

Also in Milledgeville, Georgia Military College officials declined comment when contacted in March on the issue, withholding comment until an outcome on the legislation is reached. Georgia College officials said the school, which is included in the University System of Georgia, stands with the system’s other colleges and universities in support of the current law that does not allow handguns on campuses.

Students on the south Georgia campuses, however, have mixed views.

Logan Creekmur, also a Georgia College senior from Kennesaw, Georgia, concealed carry permit holders should be able to carry their weapons on campus.

“I think since you can carry basically anywhere besides a campus, and we’re surrounded by it every day — it doesn’t really affect us noticeably,” he said. “I don’t think it’s a bad idea. Just because you can carry doesn’t mean everyone’s going to carry.”

Jake Hendon described himself as “fairly liberal” and is outright opposed to the new legislation.

“I think that it shouldn’t pass because college is a very tumultuous time,” the Georgia College freshman from Marietta, Georgia, said. “The judgment used by most college students probably isn’t the best, and so sometimes, especially in such tight quarters, emotions can run high sometimes. People can make impulsive decisions, and so I don’t think it’s best for a learning environment to have guns on campus.”

Georgia Military College is a bit of a gray area since the local campus serves both a college and a prep school. It is unclear whether permitted carriers would be allowed to do so should the governor sign the bill.

Spencer Singleton and Layla Scott are both GMC students from Macon, Georgia, and Jones County, Georgia, respectively, and both are against campus carry.

“You’re at school and you’re supposed to be protected,” Scott said. “…That’s very dangerous for us as students to be sitting here with someone with a gun not knowing what their next actions could be.”

Walt McMichael, a GMC student from Monticello, Georgia, is on the other side, noting that licensed carriers may discourage any would-be shooters.

“I feel like it’s a good idea,” McMichael said. “I feel like the people that’s wanting to do harm to the schools would think twice about it if they knew that there were armed people on campus. I feel like they’d take advantage of people that aren’t armed.”

This is the fifth year in a row campus carry legislation has been discussed between the houses, but only the second time it has made its way to the governor.

Pound writes for the Milledgeville, Georgia Union-Recorder. The Associated Press contributed to this report.