Legislative committee to make recommendations for overhaul of state’s ‘confusing’ gun laws
LITTLE ROCK — On Monday, the Arkansas Legislative Council’s Game and Fish and State Police Subcommittee continued its study of Arkansas’ gun laws that they initiated in August of last year.
The aim of the study is to overhaul Arkansas laws on gun-related topics from concealed carry to hunting.
Lawmakers have acknowledged the confusing and contradictory nature of the state’s existing firearm laws and are seeking to simplify them.
“There’s no consistency throughout and that’s what we’re looking at, is to get consistency where the state police, the Sheriff’s Association, the prosecutor will all interpret these laws the same way and there’s no ‘ifs’, ‘ands’, or ‘buts’ about what’s being said because it’ll be written where everyone can understand it,” said State Sen. Ricky Hill, (R) District 11, who co-chairs the subcommittee.
Some of the recommendations being discussed in the subcommittee have included considerable changes to Arkansas gun laws, with the focus primarily on the state’s amorphous carry laws.
“We’ve discussed everywhere from where you have the enhanced carry license to just the concealed carry license to where you can carry a gun to and who’s allowed to carry in the state of Arkansas,” Hill continued. Among the many recommendations the committee has drafted are consolidating the two existing types of concealed carry licenses into one, and removing school bus stops from the list of prohibited carry locations.
Another is to consider allowing those who have been involuntarily committed to a mental institution to regain the right to possess a firearm.
Advocates for greater gun control are concerned that the study may lead to looser restrictions across the board.
'We should be trying in every way we can to keep our citizens and our children from violence of any kind and gun violence is one of those leading causes,' said State Rep.
Tippi McCullough, (D) District 74, 'so, yes, it could be a great opportunity and I hope it's not just a guise to expand more guns.'
Whatever is recommended in the subcommittee's final report, what may actually become law will be hammered out if and when it makes it to the state legislature in January.
'That's the time to try to change, make better, try to do away with, push back, support, whatever comes up, for sure, I think that that's going to be the time to mostly do that,' Mc-Cullough said.
Monday, the subcommittee requested to extend the deadline for its final report from October 1 to October 17.
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Arkansas Rice Industry donates over 284,000 pounds of rice in honor of Rice Month
LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas rice industry donated 284,990 pounds of rice to the Arkansas Foodbank in honor of National Rice Month recently. The donation from ten mills
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will provide over 4.5 million servings of rice to help feed families, children, and seniors across the state.
Participating rice mills are Anheuser Busch of Jonesboro, Arkansas River Rice of Pine Bluff, Golden Ridge Rice Mill of Wynne, Isbell Farms of Humnoke, Poinsett Rice & Grain of Jonesboro, Producers Rice Mill of Stuttgart, Ralston Family Farms of Atkins, Riceland Foods, Inc. of Stuttgart, Riviana Foods of Carlisle, and Windmill Rice Company of Jonesboro.
'Arkansas rice farmers grow over 50% of the nation’s total crop and will produce rice on 1.4 million acres this year in over 40 counties, all of which are served by the food banks of Arkansas,” said Arkansas Rice Executive Director Kelly Robbins. “As rice harvest continues, our growers want to be good stewards by giving a portion of their crop to hunger relief efforts in our state.'
September is also Hunger Action Month. Arkansas ranks first in the nation for food-insecurity.
One in four children do not know where their next meal will come from. This rice donation will go directly to agency partners and will fill shelves at food pantries for families in need.
“This gift of rice to the Foodbanks of Arkansas is so much more than just a meal. This rice will provide hope and nourishment to those who need it most,” said Arkansas Foodbank CEO Brian Burton. “This record-setting donation will be distributed between the five other Feeding America food banks in our state who are working to provide food to our neighbors: River Valley Regional Food Bank in Fort Smith; Food Bank of Northeast Arkansas in Jonesboro; Harvest Regional Food Bank in Texarkana; Arkansas Foodbank in Little Rock; and Northwest Arkansas Food Bank in Springdale. All of us are incredibly grateful for our rice farmers who play such a critical role in the fight against hunger.”
Arkansas is the largest ricegrowing state in the nation, producing nearly 9 billion pounds annually. This year, Arkansas family-farmers will produce over 50 percent of the nation's rice. Arkansas rice growers and millers contribute over $6 billion each year to the state's economy and employ over 25,000 Arkansans.
