Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, R-Hermitage, presents House Bill 1957 to the House floor.
Credit Arkansas House
In the last moments of the 2021 Arkansas General Legislative Session, which ended early Tuesday after 1 a.m., the legislature managed to pass a bill that bans police from enforcing some federal gun laws, but addresses problems previously brought up on a similar bill that was vetoed by the governor.
House Bill 1957, filed late Monday night, made its way through the legislature in fewer than 28 hours through a series of committee meetings, recesses and votes.
The legislation would ban all state and local law enforcement officers from enforcing any federal gun laws that conflict with the right to bear arms as outlined in both the U.S. and Arkansas Constitution. Those include any laws requiring registration, tracking or banning possession of firearms. The bill is nearly identical to Senate Bill 298, which Gov. Asa Hutchinson vetoed on Friday.
Legislature kills mask mandates by any government
Legislature kills mask mandates by any government
The House today voted 69-20 to end government mask mandates in Arkansas.
There is no state mandate currently, but some local governments and schools are continuing to abide by mask requirements.
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Rep. Joshua Bryant (R-Rogers) said the legislature should be in charge of mandates and that the loosely enforced state mandate had created confusion. Some people just don’t want to accept infringement on their “liberty,” he said.
Rep. Vivian Flowers (D-Pine Bluff) asked why local control should be taken away, since some places, such as her home, had been harder hit than others. “For uniformity,” he said. This is a favorite argument of the legislature in usurping local control, except when it’s useful to allow variance in local enforcement.
Brawner: Arkansas passes a hate crimes law, says not everybody swtimes.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from swtimes.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Credit Arkansas House
The bill is defined by some as hate crimes legislation, while others say it is not specific enough to be considered as a hate crimes bill.
Under the bill, Arkansans convicted of certain violent offenses against members of a recognizable and identifiable group would have to serve at least 80% of their sentences. The bill defines these groups as sharing mental, physical, biological, cultural, political, or religious beliefs or characteristics.
Currently, Arkansas is one of few states in the nation that has not passed a hate crimes bill. Gov. Asa Hutchinson declared before the start of this legislative session that the passage of such a bill was one of his priorities.
House Speaker Matthew Shepherd talks up the substitute hate crimes bill that passed Monday.
A watered-down substitute for a hate crime bill passed the House Monday, leaving Arkansas still among the only three states without meaningful legislation to protect commonly targeted groups.
The House passed Senate Bill 622 with 65 yes votes, 26 nos and five lawmakers voting present. The bill already has Senate approval, and now heads to the governor’s desk.
Governor Hutchinson has indicated he will sign the bill into law.
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House members pass SB 622, a substitute for the hate crimes bill rejected earllier this session.
The bill requires that someone convicted of committing crimes targeting victims based on their group or class to serve a minimum of 80% of his or her sentence. Unlike hate crimes bills in other states, though, this bill does not specify what those classes or groups are. House Speaker