Our View

Our View

Gun legislation expands state’s carry laws

After an obviously contentious back and forth volley between state House and Senate members, gun advocates now have reason to celebrate the passage of a bill that will greatly expand the list of places in Arkansas where a concealed handgun can be carried.

Over the course of several weeks, lawmakers finally approved a series of Senate amendments to House Bill 1249 to allow gun owners with concealed-carry permits and up to eight hours of active-shooter training to take their weapons onto college campuses, into bars and churches, and into many public places, including the Capitol in Little Rock.

Rep. Charlie Collins, R-Fayetteville, the sponsor of House Bill 1249, has tried to pass legislation to allow guns on campus in every legislative session since 2011. The closest he came was in 2013 when legislators passed the current law, which removed a blanket prohibition against carrying guns on campus, while allowing individual universities to adopt no-guns policies.

Since then, every public university and college in the state has banned weapons on campus.

That is until now because this new legislation was specifically designed to override the ban by requiring colleges and universities to allow licensed faculty and staffed to go armed on campus with some additional training.

Throughout the process, and while this legislation was being debated in committee, lawmakers were confronted by a few college students, administrators and police, who opposed Collins’ bill. Lawmakers also heard from gun-rights advocates on reasons why removing restrictions was necessary.

Throughout the lengthy process, the Senate rewrote the bill multiple times after some, including the governor, advocated for a training requirement to be included.

While most gun advocates support a more lenient concealed carry law there are those among us who question the provision that allows guns in bars where gun holders consume alcohol.

In its current form, the bill will allow anyone age 21 or older who has a concealed-carry permit and additional training to carry a gun at colleges, airports, polling places, athletic events, most state offices and the state Capitol.

Now then, guns won’t be allowed in courtrooms, K12 public schools, public pre-kindergarten programs or facilities of the state Department of Correction or the State Department of Community Correction.

Furthermore, we agree with the law stating guns won’t be allowed into a building on a college campus where a grievance or disciplinary hearing is being held.

So then, what about the required training course?

From what we understand the course would be developed by the Arkansas State Police. Four of the eight hours of training could be waived if a person has completed the regular training for a concealed-carry permit within the past 10 years.

There are many gun advocates who agree with Collins that passage of this legislation will result in fewer of “these crazy killers” going on to college campuses and shooting innocent and unarmed students.