Gun Control After A Disaster? Not If Arkansas Has A Say.

Should a Governor be able to stop gun sales, their dispensement and the transporting of them during a disaster? A bunch of Representatives in Arkansas don’t believe so, and they filed H.B. 1819. It takes the above ‘power’ from the Governor in a disaster. Not a lot to read:

SECTION 1. Arkansas Code § 12-75-114(e)(8), concerning the disaster emergency responsibilities of the Governor, is amended to read as follows:
(8) Suspend or limit the sale, dispensing, or transportation of alcoholic beverages, firearms, explosives, and combustibles; and

And…its not finished apparently. After Katrina, a law was passed in Arkansas making it illegal for the Governor to confiscate guns after a disaster, if I remember right. This strips more power, from the Governor. So, thoughts on the Bill?

Related articles

• Ark. House panel OKs emergency gun regulation bill (mysanantonio.com)

Outflanking Mayor Bloomberg

English: New York Mayor, Michael R. Bloomberg. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rep. Harris filed a bill called H.B. 1503 CREATING THE OFFENSE OF UNLAWFUL PROCUREMENT OF A FIREARM OR AMMUNITION.

(b) A person commits the offense of unlawful procurement of a firearm or ammunition if he or she knowingly:

 (1) Solicits, persuades, encourages, or entices a licensed dealer or private seller to transfer a firearm or ammunition under unlawful circumstances; or
(2) Provides false information to a licensed dealer or private seller with a purpose to deceive the licensed dealer or private seller concerning the lawfulness of a transfer of a firearm or ammunition.

Straw Purchases. Something that is already illegal on a federal level. Generally a tactic of Mayor Bloomberg’s Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Virginia has a similar law according to this story here. However, despite breaking the law repeatedly, as documented here the law ignores him. A Federal Judge ignored him here so he continues on. Will Arkansas let draw a line in the sand?

Related articles

• Has Your Mayor signed onto Bloomberg’s anti-gun coalition? (illinoisreview.typepad.com)
• Bloomberg Admits ‘Assault Weapons’ Not Responsible for Deaths, Goes After Handguns (familysurvivalprotocol.com)

Open Carry Got Buried

Yesterday the Open Carry bill died in committee, and I could tell you what happened but Nicholas Horton was there and wrote this post here on it. However I will say that the main thing that affected it was Arkansas State Police Director Witt’s testimony. One quote that stood out is this quote:

We oppose this bill because of officer safety reasons. Often time officers encounter suspects with guns and they have to make split second decisions. Sometimes..those seconds are critical. If a person is allowed to open carry, we feel like that would cause an officer to have to pause to wonder if that person is legally carrying or not and that those critical seconds could cost an officer his life.

This argument is made every time this is brought up. When Oklahoma was debating their Open Carry law the head of their Highway Patrol made the same argument. It passed and guess what, nothing happened. How about the cops worry more about the gun that’s in someone’s hand than the one on the belt. Horton makes excellent counterpoints in his post to the Director’s comments.

In other news, the Faculty Campus Carry bill is on it’s way to the Governor for his signature. He said he’ll sign it, and their isn’t a emergency clause to automatically make it law, so we’ll see.

Immediate Response to Active Shooters in School; Who Can Argue With That?

http://www.icetraining.us/Galleries/CFCSCNOV2008/gallery001.html

CONCERNING SCHOOL SECURITY AND SCHOOL CRISIS RESPONSE TRAINING; TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.

Bill Number HB1231  Act Number Status House — Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on EDUCATION COMMITTEE- HOUSE

6-15-1303. Existing school employees as security personnel.
(a)(1) A school district board of directors may contract with an existing school employee for additional pay to provide security during school hours in addition to his or her other job duties.
(2) An employee performing duties under the additional contractual agreement under this section:
(A) May carry a firearm and a concealed handgun on school property;
(B) Shall complete a forty-hour training course at an accredited law enforcement training academy that trains the employee in:
(i) Fundamental use of firearms training including firearm safety drills, tactics, and required qualification on an approved course of fire;
(ii) Active shooter training;
(iii) Active shooter simulation scenarios;
(iv) Trauma care; and
(v) Defensive tactics;
(C) Shall complete annually an eight-hour training course at any accredited law enforcement training academy to include:
(i) On-site tactical drills;
(ii) School safety drills; and
(iii) Firearms qualification on an approved course of fire;
(D) Shall be licensed to carry a concealed handgun as required by § 5-73-301 et seq.;
(E) Shall successfully pass a medical physical examination; and
(F) Shall renew annually the contract to provide security under this section.
(b) A contract under this section shall be voided if the person contracted to provide security under this section is convicted of:
(1) A felony; or
(2) A misdemeanor involving violence.

This. I love this. Taking interested employees and making sure they’re as well trained as any cop or EMT. They’re already at the school and will arrive before the cops. What are your thoughts on this? I like it much better than putting a cop in every school. For one, greater numbers than a solitary cop. Second, the immediate response time of someone right there in class already. Here’s a link to campus assaults that I posted before here and another here

Related articles

• Scores of school workers want gun training (dispatch.com)
• Mich. GOP consider concealed firearms for teachers (sfgate.com)
• Sheriff offers firearms training for teachers, administrators (gazette.com)
• Wyoming lawmakers shoot down guns on campus bill (trib.com)
• Tactical Response Unleashed Announces $5.00 Concealed Weapons Classes for Chesterfield County School Teachers (prweb.com)

Arkansas House Bills 1022-1031; Tourists, Paperwork, Government Salaries, Levees, Assaults, Mental Health, Wrecks and Racing

Texas, Racetrack (Photo credit: Parker Knight)

Over halfway through all the House Bills files…so far. If you read the post I reblogged here you’ll understand why I’m focusing on all the minutia of every bill.

• HB1022 is a law that would simply make a section of highway a tourist attraction. Nothing too disturbing to me.
• HB1023 streamlines county government paperwork, like tax bills, by giving you the option of going paperless. And the county sheriff or collector can apply the savings from not having to mail it to your tax bill.
• HB1024 is a bill that you should pay attention too. It passed the Legislature but you need to know the cost of government in Arkansas as far as salaries are concerned. $38,485,197 total. See the bill for the breakdown.
• HB1025 deals with counties that share levees and who pays for the upkeep. This bill would increase the millage tax on properties in danger of overflow from a broken levee. Does this apply to you?
• HB1026 would make Aggravated Assault a Class C Felony, which means stronger punishment for those charged if it’s one of the following assaulted: law enforcement officer, firefighter, code enforcement officer, employee of a correctional facility while acting in the scope of his or her duty, A school employee, people older than 60 and younger than 12, A physician, a person certified as an emergency medical services personnel, a licensed or certified health care professional, any other health care provider; or an individual who is incompetent.

Who the law wouldn’t apply to his a cop on the job, or someone acting in defense of themselves or in defense of a third party. That’s comforting. The bill goes on to upgrade the degrees of assault’s punishment level for the above mentioned. My question is why upgrade for those listed and not make it as strong offense to assault people between the ages of 13-59?  Call and ask them, I am.

•  HB1027 is nothing more than what the title says. Literally. That’s just lazy.
• HB1028 takes the money spent on government employees salaries subtracted by what was budgeted. Any leftover money goes towards a future cost-of-living raise or for a 27th pay period.
• HB1029 promotes mental health care for kids in trouble with the law. I want to know if we foot the doctor bill?
• HB1030 from what I can tell is after you have a wreck then no one will be able to pester you for business that would benefit from the wreck for 60 days.
• HB1031 makes it easier to build a racetrack in Arkansas.

Any of these concern you?

	HB1022	TO INCLUDE WHITE COUNTY IN THE DESIGNATED ROUTE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL HIGHWAY 67.		Gillam
	HB1023	TO ALLOW COUNTY OFFICIALS TO STREAMLINE DELIVERY OF CERTAIN DOCUMENTS.		Mayberry
	HB1024	THE GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT FOR THE ORDINARY EXPENSES OF THE EXECUTIVE, JUDICIAL AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES FOR THE 2013-2014 FISCAL YEAR.		Joint Budget Committee
	HB1025	CONCERNING AN ALTERNATIVE SYSTEM OF ASSESSMENTS BY A LEVEE DISTRICT INCLUDING MORE THAN TWO (2) COUNTIES.		McElroy
	HB1026	TO INCREASE THE PENALTIES FOR AGGRAVATED ASSAULT AND MISDEMEANOR ASSAULT IF COMMITTED AGAINST CERTAIN PERSONS.		B. Wilkins
	HB1027	CONTROL OF INVASIVE SPECIES IN ARKANSAS WATERWAYS.		B. Wilkins
	HB1028	CONCERNING THE TRANSFER OF GENERAL REVENUE RELATED TO SALARY SAVINGS; TO CREATE A SALARY SAVINGS FUND; TO USE THE SALARY SAVINGS FUND FOR COST-OF-LIVING ADJUSTMENTS AND TWENTY-SEVENTH PAY PERIODS; AND TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY.		Love
	HB1029	TO PROMOTE MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT FOR ALLEGED CHILD OFFENDERS.		D. Altes
	HB1030	CONCERNING THE USE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORT FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES; TO REGULATE THE RELEASE OF MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT REPORTS.		D. Altes
	HB1031	CONCERNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF MOTOR VEHICLE RACING FACILITIES.