Little Rock, AR — Gun owners in Arkansas beat back a cadre of Mad Commie Mommies, Everyclown for Gun Safety, and all the other Bloomberg front groups to become the 37th state to pass Stand-Your-Ground law this week.
We reported in on January 20th when the bill, formerly S.B. 24 was filed by Sen. Bob Ballinger and passed the Senate by a vote of 27 to 7. Ballinger said at that time that he anticipated the bill passing the House, but then the bill stalled for over a month.
But pressure from gun owners ensured that the bill kept moving, eventually leading to its passage in the House by an overwhelming majority, 72 to 23.
Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson has signed into law a measure that eases the state’s restrictions on the use of deadly force in self-defense.
The Republican governor signed the measure Wednesday that removes the duty to retreat before deadly force can be used, despite past concerns he’s raised about changing the state’s self-defense law.
A similar measure stalled in the Legislature two years ago, but the bill this year moved more easily after groups such as the state’s sheriffs’ and prosecutors’ associations that previously opposed it said they’re neutral to the latest version.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Bob Ballinger (R-Ozark) and Rep. Aaron Pilkington (R-Knoxville) received overwhelming support in the legislature by a 72-23 margin in the House and 27-7 in the Senate.
Supporters of the bill say it will help people protect themselves in a dangerous situation, while opponents said it would create a dangerous precedent.
All The Right Enemies!
When the House met to discuss the bill, “dozens” of Billionaire Bloomberg’s followers made it out to try to speak against the bill.
According to KTBS.com:
Dozens rally against “Stand Your Ground” bill in Arkansas
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (KATV) — Dozens of state and religious leaders, as well as activists from across Arkansas, rallied at the Capitol Sunday to express concerns against the proposed “stand your ground” legislation…
The article went on to mention the event’s co sponsors by name, saying:
The press conference was co-sponsored by: Arkansas Democratic Black Caucus, Arkansas Public Policy Panel, Arkansas United, Citizens First Congress, Indivisible, Moms Demand Action, NAACP State and Local Branches, Urban League, Harold Flowers Law Society.
But despite bringing out the far-left radicals — one of Indivisible’s current action items encourages their followers to contact their legislators and urge them to pass H.R. 8 — Bloomberg’s crew suffered another loss in a red state whose gun owners were not going to get told to shut up and accept losing their gun rights.
Even Spineless Republicans Leadership Couldn’t Stop The Bill!
We reported earlier this spring when Arkansas’s Republican Senate Majority Leader voted against this bill, saying at the time:
Senator Jim Hendren (Sulphur Springs) is the lone Republican in the Arkansas who thought he could ignore gun owners like it was still 2019! In our opinion, that’s the only explanation for why Republican Senator Jim Hendren voted against Senator Bob Ballinger’s Stand-Your-Ground bill, S.B. 24! And he’s not some new kid in town who didn’t know better. Jim Hendren was a Congressman from 1995 until 2013, when he ran for Senate and won a seat. And since 2019, Hendren has been the Senate President!
Why would Hendren do this to gun owners? Because he thought he could get away with it!
We think the answer also lies in this quote from APnews:
The measure passed on mostly party lines. The only Republican to vote against the measure was Sen. Jim Hendren. Hendren, a nephew of the governor, is a sponsor of hate crimes legislation that has faced resistance in the Legislature and is also considering a run for governor.
A coward with bigger political ambitions is leading the Republican caucus in Arkansas!
Advancing Gun Rights
Maybe Hendren will get slapped upside the head by Arkansas voters in his next election in 2024? Time will tell, but we don’t think gun owners are going to be as forgiving in the future when moderate Republican Swamp Monsters stab them in the back!
Last year was a wake up call.
And it looks like gun owners have gotten the message as we see the battle to expand gun rights roaring hot all over the country! Chalk up one more victory for Arkansas!