State lawmakers pass 15 bills aimed at guns

As several states considered gun restrictions this year in the wake of mass shootings, such as that in Newtown, Conn., Arkansas’ 89th General Assembly passed 15 bills aimed at easing licensing, carrying and possession laws for firearms.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, at least 25 states this year have considered restrictions on certain types of weapons or ammunition accessories while the Arkansas Legislature loosened restrictions on carrying firearms in churches and higher-education institutions. Lawmakers also exempted former law-enforcement officers, court bailiffs and county sheriffs, from concealed-handgun licensing requirements, including mandatory training.

Other bills included recognizing all states’ concealed-handgun licenses in Arkansas, allowing liquor store employees to possess a firearm and granting authority to a church that operates a school to permit concealed handguns on its campus.

Over the last 10 regular legislative sessions, 95 bills were filed that simply included the word “handgun.” Of those, 21 bills largely dealt with other topics beyond the licensing, possession or carrying of firearms, such as sentencing guidelines for criminals using a weapon while committing a crime.

This year alone, legislators filed 29 bills that included the word handgun; only four of those bills did not directly address licensing, possession or carrying.

Many legislators spoke in committee meetings and on the floor of the House and Senate about their constituents’ concerns that mass shootings would lead to greater restrictions on guns.

At the same time, the National Rifle Association encouraged the state to move in the opposite direction, promoting “pro-gun” legislation on the group’s website and encouraging members to phone and e-mail legislators.

The NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action monitored the Capitol, notifying Arkansas NRA members when key gun legislation was introduced, debated or scheduled for a vote; NRA members were encouraged to contact their legislators and were provided with the lawmakers’ contact information so their voice would be heard.

The e-mails and phone calls were effective, lawmakers say.

Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville, said that while the NRA didn’t spend as much time physically in the Capitol as other groups, its messages were made known through its network of members. The frequent contact from members on gun restrictions could have played a role in what legislation came up during the session, he said.

“Even some people who might be inclined to bring [restrictive legislation], might realize there would be political ramifications to do it,” Ballinger said.

The perceived response back home can also affect votes and discussion on bills. When a bill sponsored by Rep. Justin Harris, R-West Fork, to make it a felony to obtain a firearm under false pretenses came up in the House Judiciary Committee in mid-March, some members expressed concerns that their constituents might see it as a restrictive measure.

Rep. David Kizzia, D-Malvern, asked to have a representative from the NRA come to the Capitol to speak in favor of the bill before the committee voted on the measure.

“I don’t know about the remaining members of the committee but I’ve been deluged with e-mails ostensibly from folks who have been in contact with the NRA, or acting in concert with the NRA, that under no circumstances am I to vote - or [show] support - for any form of additional gun control, but merely to enforce the laws that we already have,” Kizzia said.

Harris and other members of the committee assured Kizzia that there had been “two or three e-mails and also phone calls sent out from the NRA” in favor of the bill.

The NRA did not respond to several calls and e-mails over several weeks seeking comment.

Among the measures that failed during the session was Ballinger’s bill to prevent additional federal regulations on guns and ammunition from being enforced in Arkansas.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, legislators in 30 other states filed similar legislation. Those states included Colorado and New York, where the legislatures passed additional restrictions, such as a ban on large-capacity magazines.

In total, 25 states considered bills to restrict the sale of large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, according to the group.

Other states, including Mississippi, passed laws that would improve criminal background check systems and communication between law enforcement agencies, according to the San Francisco-based Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.

Overall, the total number of bills in state legislatures to strengthen gun laws increased 231 percent in 2013 compared with 2012, according to the center.

In Arkansas, Ballinger said he didn’t expect gun control to be a hot issue during the recently concluded legislative session. He said he would consider bringing his bill to prevent federal regulations in a future session and that, overall, he was pleased with what passed into law this year.

“I think what we accomplished was great. I think we moved the bar in the right direction,” Ballinger said.

Front Section, Pages 1 on 04/29/2013

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