May 05, 2016 12:12 PM EDT By Darren Domirez, UniversityHerald Reporter

Almost in effect, Nathan Deal, governor of Georgia has vetoed a bill allowing concealed handguns on college campuses by rejecting the proposal that was easily approved by a legislature controlled by his own party in an election year.

Still including Georgia, 23 states leave the decision to ban or allow weapons up to individual colleges and universities, and 19 states currently ban concealed weapons on campuses, according the National Conference of State Legislatures.

The bill would have allowed anyone age 21 and over to bring a concealed handgun with the proper permit on a public college or university campus. But there was no easy option for Deal, who is in his second and final term. He would do what is in the best interests of as many Georgians as possible, The Guardian reported.

Deal's decision to bar the bill was not a complete surprise. After it passed the legislature, he asked members to pass transcribed bills concerning access to on-campus daycare centers, places where high school students can obtain college-level courses and where disciplinary inquiry are apprehended. But they declined, imparting that the original bill was carefully considered, the report added.

The National Rifle Association (NRA), the premier lobbying groups behind the bill, voiced their censure of the veto in a declaration on Tuesday.

The measure would have made Georgia campuses safer for Deal's constituents, NRA Spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen said.

Other supporters of the measure have said permitting students who passed background checks to bring concealed guns on campus would help make the environment safer and set further restrictions for augmented gun violence.

Meanwhile, the governing board of the University System of Georgia opposed the campus carry measure together with all the 29 public university and college presidents and their police chiefs.

Opponents cited the same reasons criticizing the governor's footing against the bill. Georgia's public colleges and universities added that they will be forced to increase their on-campus police presence and add muscle on security which will cost expensive modifications with no state funding support, reports said.

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