Arkansas stand your ground amendment aims to protect shooters in gun-free zones
February 20, 20211:32 pm PUSHING FORWARD: Rep. Aaron Pilkington plans to file an amendment to his stand your ground bill Monday.
The controversial stand your ground bill already defeated once this legislative session is back on the agenda for Tuesday, and with a new twist. A proposed amendment would allow killers to invoke the stand your ground defense even if they shoot someone in a place where guns are legally prohibited.
Members of the gun rights group Gun Owners of Arkansas opposed a previous version of the NRA-backed Senate Bill 24, but say they worked with sponsor
Stand your ground bill headed for impasse?
February 3, 20216:07 pm Rep. Pilkington talks about what s next for his controversial stand your ground legislation. Jaime Alverson
The piece of a stand your ground bill that Arkansas prosecutors insisted on adding is the very piece Gun Owners of Arkansas and some conservative lawmakers are pushing to take out. The impasse threatens to stall attempts to resuscitate the controversial bill that died in committee Tuesday.
Republican lawmakers met in private Wednesday afternoon, ostensibly to hash out what to do about language in Senate Bill 24 that requires someone to be “lawfully present” to be able to invoke a stand your ground defense. Stand your ground laws in other states make it legal for people to kill anyone they deem a threat, even if they could have safely walked away instead.