At least 20 gun bills have been filed in General Assembly
By Roy Ockert Jr.
March 10, 2015
Arkansas lawmakers love their guns, and they want you to love them, too. Soon you may be able to carry a gun legally almost anywhere you want to go.
At least 20 bills that would expand the rights of concealed carry handgun permit-holders or otherwise dealing with gun rights have come before the General Assembly. Although only one has yet been signed into law, many more remain on the table.
The most expansive was filed last week by Rep. Dan Sullivan, R-Jonesboro. House Bill 1528 would allow concealed handguns to be carried by permit-holders into many places where they are now prohibited, including liquor stores, churches, K-12 private schools, publicly owned buildings and other facilities, and even the State Capitol.
I have been chiding legislators for allowing handguns everywhere except in the Capitol so HB 1528 would take care of that. Heck, it would even authorize people to carry firearms into public buildings or facilities, including the Capitol, to participate in a shooting match or target practice.
The list of prohibited places would be narrowed to:
• a police, sheriff’s, State Police or Highway Police station;
• a prison or jail;
• a courthouse or courtroom (except that a judge could carry a gun and authorize certain others to do so);
• a public school, college or university;
• the passenger terminal of an airport;
• private property where the owner has clearly posted signs saying that “carrying a handgun is prohibited;” and
• any place where carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law.
Other bills could reduce that list even further.
Most notably, HB 1077 would allow permit-holders to carry handguns onto the campus of a public or private college or university if they are employed by the institution. An employee is defined as a staff member who is not a full-time student or a faculty member who is either full-time or part-time, but graduate assistants, like other students, are excluded.
The lead sponsor, Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, pushed similar legislation into law in 2013. However, a compromise allows public colleges and universities to opt out by passing a policy prohibiting handguns on campus every year, and all of them have. That distressed Collins so much he came back with a new bill deleting the opt-out provision.
Leave it to our limited-government, local-control proponents to abandon their principles when they don’t get their way.
After the bill initially got hung up in committee, Collins amended it, allowing a public college or university to require a permit-holder to complete “an active shooter or related training program” of up to 16 hours and up to eight hours additional training per year.
The House of Representatives then passed HB 1077 by 66-25, and it’s due before the Senate Judiciary Committee this week. Passage there is not guaranteed because the committee includes four Republicans and four Democrats.
It’s not clear whether a permit-holder would be able to carry a handgun into a sporting event or other public event.
One gun bill been signed into law as Act 105. That is HB 1190 by Rep. Kim Hammer, R-Benton, which allows a concealed carry permit to be issued to someone between 18 and 21 who is a current or former member of the military.
Following is a list showing the sponsor, intent and status of other gun bills.
• HB 1372 (Rep. David Meeks, R-Conway) would allow a concealed handgun to be carried onto the property of a private school — sent back to the House Education Committee.
• HB 1432 (Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, D-Warren) would allow a concealed handgun to be carried into a polling place — recommended “do pass” by the House Judiciary Committee.
• HB 1440 (Rep. Jim Dotson, R-Bentonville) would reduce the fee for a concealed carry license and create a lifetime license — in the House State Agencies and Governmental Affairs Committee.
• HB 1503 (Rep. Laurie Rushing, R-Hot Springs) would allow a concealed handgun to be carried in public housing — in House Judiciary Committee.
• HB 1505 (Rep. Michelle Gray, R-Melbourne) would allow a concealed handgun to be kept locked in a vehicle on a public parking lot — in House Judiciary Committee.
• HB 1626 (Rep. Tim Lemons, R-Cabot) would allow an elected official who holds a concealed carry license to take a handgun into the courthouse where employed — awaits action in two committees.
• SB 159 (Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, R-Pocahontas) would allow any county employee with a permit to carry a concealed handgun into a county courthouse — in House Judiciary Committee.
• SB 492 (Sen. Jimmy Hickey, R-Texarkana) would allow a permit-holder to keep a handgun locked in a vehicle on his or her employer’s parking lot — in House Judiciary Committee.
• SB 612 (Sen. Jon Woods, D-Springdale) would allow a person residing in the state for 90 days to obtain a concealed handgun license — awaiting Senate action.
Two bills, HB 1240 by Rep. Dwight Tosh, R-Jonesboro, and HB 1203 by Hammer, would establish “stand your ground” laws establishing the right to use deadly physical force in self-defense. Both remain in committee.
Lawmakers are putting a lot of faith in the law-abiding nature of concealed carry license holders, but they have also concealed their names from public inspection so we will be unlikely to know when they commit a crime instead of stop one.
Roy Ockert is editor emeritus of The Jonesboro Sun. He may be reached by e-mail at royo@suddenlink.net.