Senate · Introduced · 2025-2026 Regular Session

SR 605: Pretti, Alex; condemn the killing of and protect the constitutional rights of peaceful assembly and right to keep and bear arms

Last action January 28, 2026 · Senate Read and Referred

A Georgia Senate resolution condemns the killing of Alex Pretti by federal Border Patrol agents in Minneapolis and calls for protecting peaceful assembly and gun rights from federal encroachment.

Read the full resolution text

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In plain language

This resolution does not change any Georgia law. Instead, it states the Georgia Senate's position on a January 2026 incident in Minneapolis in which United States Border Patrol agents killed Alex Pretti, a Minnesota resident who was lawfully carrying a handgun while participating in a protest against federal immigration policy. The resolution condemns Pretti's killing and condemns the killing of any American citizen when the stated justification is the lawful exercise of constitutional rights, such as peaceful assembly or gun ownership. It reaffirms Senate members' duty to uphold the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions, calls on elected officials of all parties to reject rhetoric equating protest or lawful firearm possession with terrorism, and commits members to working to protect assembly and gun rights from federal immigration enforcement agencies. It directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies to the public and press.

What the bill does

Formally condemns the killing of Alex Pretti and condemns killing any American citizen when the justification is lawful exercise of constitutional rights.
Reaffirms Senate members' sworn duty to uphold and defend the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions against threats foreign and domestic.
Calls on all elected officials, regardless of party, to reject rhetoric equating peaceful protest or lawful firearm possession with criminality or terrorism.
Commits Senate members to working together to protect rights of peaceful assembly and to keep and bear arms from encroachment by federal immigration enforcement agencies.
Directs the Secretary of the Senate to distribute copies of the resolution to the public and press.

Who it affects

The resolution most directly concerns federal immigration enforcement agencies, elected officials nationwide, and Americans exercising rights to peaceful assembly and firearm possession. It does not create legal obligations for Georgia residents, agencies, or businesses since it is a statement of position rather than a law.

Why it matters

As a resolution, this does not change any statute or create enforceable rights or penalties. Its practical effect is to put the Georgia Senate's stance on record regarding federal use of force against a citizen exercising constitutional rights, which could shape political debate and future legislation.

Key provisions

The first resolving clause condemns Alex Pretti's killing and condemns killing any citizen when lawful exercise of constitutional rights is the stated justification.
The second resolving clause reaffirms members' duty to defend the U.S. and Georgia Constitutions against foreign and domestic threats.
The third resolving clause urges all elected officials to reject rhetoric equating protest or lawful gun possession with terrorism.
The fourth resolving clause commits members to protecting assembly and gun rights from federal immigration enforcement agencies.
The final clause directs the Secretary of the Senate to make copies available to the public and press.

From the bill

“the members of this body condemn the killing of Alex Pretti, and condemn the killing of any American citizen where the asserted justification is the lawful exercise of constitutional rights.”
The resolution's core statement condemning the killing and any similar killing on the same grounds.

“no administration possesses the authority to declare that constitutional rights cease to apply because they obstruct a President's political agenda.”
A whereas clause asserting that constitutional rights cannot be suspended for political convenience.

Discussed in meetings (2)

The House and Senate meetings that took this bill up, from their machine transcripts. Each account was written by Georgia Commons with AI and is not part of the record; the video is what was said.

Senate floor session, January 27, 2026 (legislative day 7)
From 1:31:50 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel
Summary by Georgia Commons: Several senators urged passage of SR 605 following the killing of a nurse during federal immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota. The first senator said the resolution would affirm gun rights and called for clarity, due process and truthful explanations. A second senator requested passage that day and argued that Georgia needed bipartisan action to protect residents from unchecked enforcement. A third senator requested adoption on the following day's consent calendar to affirm constitutional rights, including the right to bear arms. During the surrounding discussion, the majority leader called the death tragic, urged a review of the facts and government transparency, and cautioned against reaching conclusions before an investigation. The majority leader also emphasized law enforcement and public order. A fourth senator supporting the resolution argued that protest and lawful firearm possession should not expose people to deadly government force and urged adoption the next day. No motion to adopt the resolution or vote on it was shown.
Senate floor session, January 28, 2026 (legislative day 8)
From 0:26:33 · Watch on the General Assembly's Vimeo channel · Confirmed by the bill's status history (Senate Read and Referred)
Summary by Georgia Commons: SR 605 received a first reading and was referred to Public Safety. During personal-privilege speeches, several senators urged immediate passage or a hearing. One senator described it as protecting constitutional rights following a federal immigration-enforcement shooting in Minnesota. A second senator called for unanimous adoption, saying lawful firearm possession and peaceful protest should be protected. Other supporters accused the federal administration of violating civil rights and argued that Georgia should act before similar events occurred in the state. One supporter described the resolution as affirming protest and lawful firearm rights. In responses to the broader debate, another senator urged attention to crimes committed in Georgia by people unlawfully in the country. A further senator warned that inflammatory descriptions of law enforcement could endanger officers. Another senator argued that officers deserved due process rather than judgment based on videos and news coverage. The minority leader said the rule of law concerned every state, and a final speaker encouraged dialogue to prevent future incidents. No hearing or adoption vote occurred.

Status timeline

2026-01-28Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2026-01-27Senate Hopper (Senate)

Topics

gun rights
Second Amendment
federal immigration enforcement
free speech and protest
Alex Pretti

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Machine-readable https://georgiacommons.org/bills/2025-2026/sr605.md · https://georgiacommons.org/bills/index.md · MCP https://mcp.georgiacommons.org/mcp