Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Monday afternoon signed into law a bill aimed at barring concealed-carry permit holders from Razorback Stadium and other locations hosting collegiate sporting events.
Senate Bill 724 by Sen. Jonathan Dismang, R-Searcy, also is designed to prohibit these "enhanced" permit holders, who will have extra training, from carrying weapons into the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences and the State Hospital. The bill also allows private entities not to allow these permit holders onto their property, without posting notices.
The new law will amend Act 562, signed by the governor March 22. Act 562 created the "enhanced" concealed-carry license that would allow the permit holders with up to eight hours of extra training to carry their weapons onto the campuses of public two- and four-year colleges and into many publicly funded buildings, including the state Capitol.
Act 562 and the law signed Monday will become effective Sept. 1. The Arkansas State Police will formulate rules to design a firearm-training program within 120 days of that effective date. More than 220,000 Arkansans have concealed-carry permits.
-- Michael R. Wickline