Arkansas Senate votes to override governor's veto of gun bill

In this file photo Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks at the Arkansas Rural Economic Development Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center.
In this file photo Gov. Asa Hutchinson speaks at the Arkansas Rural Economic Development Conference at the Hot Springs Convention Center.

The Arkansas Senate voted to override Gov. Asa Hutchinson’s veto of a bill that would prohibit state and local law enforcement from helping to enforce federal gun laws.

After debating the bill Monday, the Senate voted 21-12 to override the governor’s veto. The House adjourned without considering an override. A simple majority of both houses is required to override a gubernatorial veto.

Senate Bill 298, also known as the “Arkansas Sovereignty Act of 2021” would declare federal gun laws and regulations “null and void” in Arkansas and create penalties for law enforcement who assist with the enforcement of federal gun laws.

The bill also declares “null and void” the National Firearms Act, which regulates machine guns and sawed-off shotguns and the Gun Control Act of 1968, which prohibits felons from possessing a firearm.

In a letter explaining his veto Friday, Hutchinson said the bill “jeopardizes the essential partnership between state and federal law enforcement agencies.”

Read Tuesday's Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette for the full story.

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