Arkansas Senate passes guns in church bill
By
Lee Hogan
This article was published January 28, 2013 at 2:56 p.m.
- Comments (23)
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LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Senate approved Senate Bill 71 on Monday, which would allow concealed guns in participating churches.
The bill, called the Church Protection Act of 2013, passed the Senate by a 28-4 vote. The bill will now go to the Arkansas House of Representatives for a vote.
If the bill passes through the House, Gov. Mike Beebe would have to sign the bill into law for it to take effect.
An Arkansas Democrat-Gazette article reported that a Beebe spokesman said the governor was neutral on the bill and would likely sign the bill if it came to him.
Read more on this story in Tuesday's Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.
Comments on: Arkansas Senate passes guns in church bill
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Jackabbott says... January 28, 2013 at 4:01 p.m.
This bill is not good for Arkansas. It is addressing a "problem' that does not exist, it will create a 'bad' national public image for Arkansas and deter decent companies from wanting to locate their companies here. Who wants to go to church not knowing if the person seated behind you could shoot you.
Christ drove the moneychangers out of the temple, now these infidels want to bring guns into churh, This is not the Gaza strip or Irag.
When are these bozos going to do somthing about the dismal ceconomy and jobs, the high cost of gasoline and building some better highways?
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RonalFos says... January 28, 2013 at 4:22 p.m.
Churches who allow weapons should be forced to post a notice so people can decide if they want to enter the building or not.
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Packman says... January 28, 2013 at 4:30 p.m.
Hey jackabbott - "When are these bozos going to do somthing about the dismal ceconomy and jobs, the high cost of gasoline and building some better highways?" You must be talking about BH Obama and his demorat collegues in Washington. Surely you are based on BH Obama's priorities (taking constitutional rights away from law-abiding citizens (gun bans), wholesale amnesty for ciminial behavior (illegal immigration), trying to make a lifestyle choice a civil right (GBLT marriage), and working to help kill as many unborn children as he possibly can (abortion) that have nothing to do with improving the economy, creating jobs, or building roads. I guess that's why they call him "Obozo".
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Pobucker says... January 28, 2013 at 4:38 p.m.
I can't figure out how the leg had any right to ban guns in churches to begin with. That option should ALWAYS have been the church's perogative. Congregations can do as they please inside the sanctuary, much to Jack and Ron's dismay, it appears.
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DontDrinkDatKoolAid says... January 28, 2013 at 5:01 p.m.
Why should the Government regulate our rights ever?
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djigoo says... January 28, 2013 at 5:49 p.m.
The "Arkansaw Traveler" books and jokes didn't damage the image of this great state as much as today's Arkansas Republicans do.
Note that I take great pains to include the word "today's." Believe it or not, at one time, in the Land Of Opportunity, one could simultaneously be a Republican AND a sentient human.
Weird, but TRUE!
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Foghorn says... January 28, 2013 at 5:58 p.m.
My thoughts exactly Pobucker.
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djigoo says... January 28, 2013 at 6:09 p.m.
For decades, I have taken great pains to disabuse other Americans of their stereotypical image of Arkansawyers.
$h!t like this undoes my efforts.
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R0B0 says... January 28, 2013 at 7:49 p.m.
This is a move in the right direction. Eliminating "gun free zones" in itself will act a deterrent instead of an invitation. For those uncomfortable with sitting next to someone with a concealed gun, think about this- as a concealed carry permit holder, you automatically KNOW that I Have no felony convictions (lifetime), have not had a class A or class B misdemeanor in the last 5 years, passed both state and federal fingerprint and background checks and have had no delinquent conduct within the last 10 years. Now, how about the other guy your sitting next to? How much do you KNOW about him?
Addressing a problem that doesn't exist? Jan. 27, 2013 (yesterday) three gunman walked into a Baptist church in East St. Louis and robbed the congregation at gunpoint. 50 people were inside the church. I'm sure some of them thought there was "no problem to be addressed" and I'm sure even more thought themselves to be safe.
All of these recent acts of senseless violence we are seeing in the news occurred in a "gun free zone" and none were committed by a concealed cary permit holder. Criminals aren't going to obey the law, that's why they're criminals.
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Trailer says... January 28, 2013 at 8:11 p.m.
There is a difference between a weapon and a gun.... A weapon is a gun used in an offensive manner, which should not be allowed in church, but a gun should be there to defend against stupid people that do stupid things.
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cindi22202170708 says... January 28, 2013 at 8:52 p.m.
Think of the thousands of church services weekly. Now think of the ones that have incidents where a gun would have helped. Unless I've missed a lot of news stories, they are far and few in between. Next think of the 3 who shot 5 of their own weekend before last at gunshows. Then do a search on any major news site for "accidental shootings" and see how many there are every single day. Finally, think of all the thousands of additional guns in those churches every week. This is a disaster just waiting to occur.
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Libertarian says... January 28, 2013 at 11:14 p.m.
Did anyone else note the 3 men that robbed the church during services in East St. Louis? Yeah, the problem doesn't exist. As long as one keeps one's head in the sand.
article at st. louis dot com/news/local/crime-and-courts/police-have-two-in-custody-east-st-louis-church-holdup/article_f25a30c8-9ff2-5434-8e35-2416a9542eb3.html
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Libertarian says... January 28, 2013 at 11:56 p.m.
Cindy, millions of us are carrying guns every day, and no one is getting shot accidentally. You go about your business, blissfully ignorant of the armed grandmother next to you (my mom) or the father with his children. After a decade of concealed carry, it's pretty obvious it was never the catastrophe the John Brummetts of the world said it would be.
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German says... January 29, 2013 at 12:08 a.m.
I beg to differ. This bill is good for Arkansas. I cannot see how this bill will create a bad national public image for Arkansas. Dianne Feinstein, Chuck Shumer and Michael Bloomberg have become viral. We have a British Talk Show host in Piers Morgan who is trying to bring British Law to America. I am a naturalized citizen myself. I do vote and I have my opinions. Yet, I would never dare trying to bring German laws to America. I am a strong Obama supporter and I think that background checks should be universal. There ought to be no place where the likes of Charles Manson can walk out with a gun. Anything else, like banning mags over 10 rounds..BAD IDEA...gun free zones....BAD IDEA. The Washington anti-gun-gang is standing on the graves of the dead children. Do I agree with most things Obama sais and does,YES I DO, New England Style gun control..NO MR. PRESIDENT.
This bill is good because it will tell Washington that they better watch what they are doing. The Pres' might be in his final term...but there are a whole lot of candidates after him who wanna be elected...ARKANSAS DOES HAVE A DOG IN THIS FIGHT!!!
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BillSmith says... January 29, 2013 at 12:39 a.m.
Hillbilly,barefoot,pregnant,redneck,right wing conservative, and now, pistol packing pew sitters. Arkansas has a lot going for it and the rest of the Nation knows it, our license plate motto "Land of Opportunity" is a joke and will always will be. Hey business why don't you want to come to Arkansas. Could it be our legislature spends more time passing bills about abortion and pew packing and defeating bill like medical marijauna, than building more trade schools and community colleges and making tution more afordable.
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PaulRevere says... January 29, 2013 at 8:30 a.m.
The bill only fixes a mistake made by the original concealed carry law, which removed the right of a church to decide whether it wants to restrict carrying a firearm while in its buildings. Those who say this makes Arkansans look bad fail to understand that many states do not specifically exempt churches from the locations one cannot carry a firearm. The funny part about all this fuss is that the ONLY persons who cannot currently carry a gun in church are those who obey the law. The proposed new laws only restrict the law-abiding citizen, and will almost certainly turn law-abiding citizens into law breakers if passed.
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Whippersnapper says... January 29, 2013 at 9:30 a.m.
BillSmith says
"Hey business why don't you want to come to Arkansas. Could it be our legislature spends more time passing bills about abortion and pew packing and defeating bill like medical marijauna [sic], than building more trade schools and community colleges and making tution [sic] more afordable [sic]."
~
BS, once again you prove that you don't pay attention. Where are businesses re-locating to in the United States? Southern states full of, how did you phrase it again? Oh yeah... "Hillbilly,barefoot,pregnant,redneck,right wing conservative, and now, pistol packing pew sitters."
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That's right, BS, Alabama, Tennessee, Mississippi, South Carolina etc. have what in common? Oh yeah, ultra-red conservative, church-going gun-toting states. That's where big companies are choosing to relocate in the United States, not the sky blue liberal, atheist-leaning, hand-wringing, quiche-eating* states like Massachusetts, New York, California and their Obama-worshiping brethren. In fact, businesses are actively fleeing the periwinkle government dependency states to seek out the strong and independent minded red states all the time. Using your typical BS logic, you have evaluated the situation and declared that 1 + 1 = pineapple upside down cake. Good job. Keep it up. The rest of your lib buddies will be around in a few minutes to declare that you are indeed the smartest among them, for as much as that obviously means.
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*note - there is nothing inherently wrong with eating or liking quiche, but in the natural flow of this rant that line just felt right. I apologize to any conservative who appreciates a good quiche now and then.
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Whippersnapper says... January 29, 2013 at 9:34 a.m.
...and yes, Mr. BS, I have decided that your comments on every thread will need some logical toilet paper to wipe them away before they stick around too long and stink up the joint. Very unhygienic to let BS go unattended, you know. (and I know you haven't been paying attention for a couple decades so I'll kindly point out that it has been that long since the license plate motto was "Land of Opportunity")
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Duncan says... January 29, 2013 at 8:18 p.m.
This bill is a great example of a bunch of stupid politicians flapping their jaws so that they will look like they're doing something without actually doing something. Unless there is some kind of law that I'm not aware of I believe that Churches could decide to allow concealed, or open carry guns at their leisure if their members so determined. Churches are essentially private clubs. The Legislature has no reason to pass such a law and no right to either.
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BillSmith says... January 29, 2013 at 8:38 p.m.
whipper.....what are businesses re-locating and why. Right to work and low wages.
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Whippersnapper says... January 29, 2013 at 9:39 p.m.
BillSmith says
"whipper.....what are businesses re-locating and why. Right to work and low wages."
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Hmm Boeing's plant in South Carolina isn't low wages. The car plants all over the south pay higher than the national median wages (not to mention the significantly lower state wages). The steel plant in Arkansas that was just announced is going to pay an average salary more than twice the state and national average. How many of those new plants with HIGH wages are going in the sparkly blue states? The difference is lowER wages, not low wages. The difference is lowER overall cost of production, not low wages.
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BillSmith says... January 30, 2013 at 8:40 a.m.
whipper....about the south:
Jokes about the U.S. becoming “Europe’s Mexico” are commonplace, but now high-priced consultants are pushing the notion in all seriousness.
They’re predicting that within five years certain Southern U.S. states will be among the cheapest manufacturing locations in the developed world—and competitive with China.
For years advisers like the Boston Consulting Group got paid big bucks to tell their clients to produce in China. Now, they say, rising wages there, fueled by worker unrest, and low wages in Mississippi, Alabama, and South Carolina mean that soon it won’t be worth the hassle of locating overseas.
*
We all know why Boeing and its subsideries locate some manufacturing process in most states, so every state has jobs to lose if anyone suggest cutting the military industrial complex the GOP has built.
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Whippersnapper says... January 30, 2013 at 11:04 a.m.
BS, if you think the average American would whine about plants locating in their state that pay more than the national average for salaries, you are as delusional as you are uninformed. The plants I have cited all pay HIGHER than the national average. Not low wage, but lower than the overpriced unions in the rust belt. What's happening to the unions? Oh yeah, jobs drying up and unemployment rates high and membership declining, but you'd rather be one of the few hoping you could outlast the rest of your slowly dying brethren, right?
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