Arkansas House passes bill to allow guns in churches

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Arkansas House passes bill to allow guns in churches

By Suzi Parker
LITTLE ROCK, Ark | Mon Feb 4, 2013 6:50pm EST

(Reuters) - The Arkansas House of Representatives approved a bill on Monday to allow concealed-carry permit holders to take their weapons into churches, and it is expected to be signed into law by the state's governor.

The Church Protection Act would allow individual places of worship to decide whether to allow concealed handguns and who could carry them. The Republican-controlled House passed the bill 85-8 with bipartisan support. The measure previously passed the Republican-controlled Senate 28-4.

Arkansas joins a handful of other states, including South Carolina, Wyoming and Louisiana, that allow guns in churches, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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Arkansas Governor Mike Beebe, a Democrat, was expected to sign the bill into law. His spokesman, Matt DeCample, said that Beebe "wants to continue the discussion with lawmakers and church leaders this session."

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Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/04/us-usa-guns-arkansas-idUSBRE91313820130204

[gejohnston]

1. it is a church/state issue, not a 2A issue.

It should be up to the local pastor or church hierarchy, just like any other private business unless there is a compelling State interest. While I can see a reasonable argument to be made that there is a compelling State interest in banning guns from being carried in bars (that should include off duty cops in cop bars), I fail to see it when it comes to churches.

[n2doc]

2. But what about Gun Sales?

Gun Sale At The Church - The Beat Farmers

Well let's pack up the kids and take a break, get away
Leave the hustle and bustle of living from day to day
And I know that the crime in the city is-a getting worse
So we're going on down to the gun sale at the church

Well my lady's all set to have us a real good time
Baby Johnny's got fins but he don't seem to mind
So the family's all ready to pray at the holy perch
That's set up in the middle of the gun sale at the church

Well we'll ask the lord to forgive us all of our sins
And we'll look at the latest in gold plated firing pins
Well my two main men are Jesus and old John Birch
So we're going on down to the gun sale at the church

[gejohnston]

3. that sounds like a good coven fundraiser to save an oak grove from

developers

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celtic_tree_worship

[holdencaufield]

4. Churches ...

... synagogues, mosques, temples and gurudwara are, almost without exception, private property. So, why would a bill be necessary to allow legal carry on private property? The decision to allow, or not allow, carry would be up to the individual congregations of said places of worship.

My shul, for example, allows legal concealed carry and our private security carry openly.

[ManiacJoe]

6. Current law prohibits concealed carry in churches.

The proposed bill removes churches and other houses of religion from the list of prohibited places. Thus the decision to allow (or not) would revert back to the owners.

[GreenStormCloud]

5. And the first gun legislation of 2013 is a pro-gun rights bill.

The frontlash continues.