The state Senate Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a bill to allow licensed gun owners to carry weapons in church.

The bill would allow guns in churches as long as congregations give the okay. The bill's supporters say, churches should have the same rights as other property owners.

Republican Senator Jeff Mullis of Chickamauga says large churches can afford security equipment and personnel. But small churches often can't, so it would help if congregation members could carry guns.

“This ain’t going to be an OK Corral or Dodge City," he said after the vote. "This is going to allow churches to have some security basically.”

Opponents say, houses of worship should be free of firearms. And they say gun owners already have enough places where they can carry.

Sen. Steve Thompson of Marietta told his colleagues that he’s a gun enthusiast. But he doesn’t see the point of the bill.

He said the measure appears to be the work of the gun lobby.

“I guess I’m just saying it seems to me that these groups run out of things to introduce and they have to justify themselves to the national office and so they find a bill to introduce that takes things a little further,” he said from the floor of the Senate.