Concealed handguns would be allowed in Arkansas polling places under a bill advanced Thursday by the House Judiciary Committee. The panel also endorsed bill to require the collection of a DNA sample from a person arrested for any felony offense. House Bill 1432 by Rep. Jeff Wardlaw, D-Warren, would remove polling places from the list of places where possession of a firearm is prohibited. Polling sites located inside public buildings or other facilities that prohibit firearms would not be affected, however. “What this one does is it allows it in a country store, where people go in and eat their dinner every day and carry their guns, on voting day they’re not allowed to do that. This bill will allow them to do that. It will also allow churches that allow concealed carry to allow it,” Wardlaw told the committee. Asked if some church congregations might opt out of allowing their facilities to be used as polling places if the bill is passed, Wardlaw said there might be a few and said they would have the option of posting signs prohibiting weapons.
Lindsey Baily, opposing the bill on behalf of the Association of Arkansas Counties, said some confusion could occur because polling sites are located in a variety of places, some of which would be affected by the bill and some of which would not.
“There is nothing in this bill that would indicate you can put up a sign and trump what Arkansas Code says you can carry,” said Baily. “At the minimum this would cause confusion, it would cause anger in people who came to vote and carried, but when they got there were told not to.”
Rep. Bob Ballinger, R-Hindsville, said there should be no confusion as state allows the person who is in control of a property to post a notice prohibiting firearms. “To me it sounds like you take an 8-by-10 sheet of paper and write ‘Handguns are prohibited’ and stick it on the door and you’re done,” he said.
Full Article: House committee advances bill to allow concealed handguns in polling places | Arkansas News.