ATLANTA – Michelle Haberland concedes the possibility that, at some point, a student has come to her class at Georgia Southern University carrying a concealed gun.

Still, the history professor said she liked knowing that even if a gun was there, it should not have been.

She shuddered at the thought of standing before legally armed students.

“Firearms limit academic freedom. They cast a shadow,” she said.

And it’s why Haberland said she and her colleagues were relieved as word spread late Tuesday afternoon that Gov. Nathan Deal had vetoed a controversial bill that would have allowed those with licenses to bring handguns to class.

That sentiment echoed across Georgia campuses.

Cecil P. Staton, interim president at Valdosta State University, who had openly urged Deal to veto the bill, said he was “grateful for the leadership Gov. Deal has shown.”

“I support Georgia’s current law and believe our campuses will be safer because of the governor’s action,” he said in a statement.

Their relief may be short-lived, though.

The bill’s co-sponsor, Rep. Rick Jasperse, R-Jasper, said Tuesday afternoon that supporters will push for a special session of the Legislature to override the veto – a difficult feat.

Jasperse said Deal’s decision was a disappointment, but proponents are looking ahead.

“That’s the legislative process,” he said. “We felt we did what we thought was right, and he doesn’t agree.”

Others, including House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, also expressed dismay.

“This is not the end of this discussion. I will continue to defend and protect the rights of law abiding Georgians under our Second Amendment,” he said in a statement.

Jasperse argued that, because of licensing requirements, the proposal only would have allowed a small number of students to carry on public college campuses. Licenses are generally only given to those 21 years or older.

Dorms, fraternity and sorority houses and athletic venues including football stadiums would have remained off-limits to weapons.

If lawmakers cannot rally enough support for a special session, Jasperse said they will be back next session with a new plan.

Jasperse said he hasn’t ruled out another go as the sponsor for the bill.

“This issue is not going away,” he said. “There’s a great concern for citizens to be able to defend themselves on a college campus.”

To that, Savannah mom Lindsey Free-Donovan said, “Bring it on.”

Emboldened by the veto, the leader of Georgia chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, an affiliate of Everytown for Gun Safety, said Tuesday that opponents will continue to fight proposals for guns on campus.

A similar measure gained traction in 2014 but was cut from the so-called “Guns Everywhere” bill, which allowed weapons to be carried in public places including bars and churches.

This year marked the closest that supporters had come to opening up Georgia’s college campuses to firearms.

Supporters said fears surrounding the 2014 “Guns Everywhere” law weren’t realized, and neither would those surrounding campus carry.

The campus-carry law, they said, would have kept Georgians who passed a background check from being victimized while on campus – an argument that gains new life with every mass shooting.

The bill passed with near 2-to-1 margins in both the state House and Senate.

But Deal – who earlier indicated that he might support the measure – said there were concerns that needed to be addressed.

He told lawmakers he wanted them to consider adding three other areas – on-campus daycares, faculty and administrative offices, and disciplinary hearings – to the list of places where firearms would not be allowed.

The bill’s supporters said those requests came too late, but they also expressed concerns, such as why daycares should get special treatment.

Jill Nolin covers the Georgia Statehouse for CNHI’s newspapers and websites. Reach her at jnolin@cnhi.com.