A push in the Arkansas Legislature to increase the presence of guns on school campuses made an advancement Thursday. The House Education Committee approved a bill that would give all private schools the ability to allow concealed carry holders on their grounds.
Republican Representative Grant Hodges voted for the measure and said it was meant to clarify a 2013 law.
“There was some question about private schools that aren’t affiliated with a church. If they are affiliated with a church they were already included in the law that could include concealed carry if they chose to,“ said Hodges. “This is for private schools that aren’t affiliated with a church.”
Representative John Walker, a Democrat from Little Rock, voted in opposition and said clarification bill or not more guns at school is a bad policy.
“I do not understand why these people believe that they can allow people to carry guns and thereby provide a safer environment. Guns and safety have no real correlation,” said Walker.
Representative Hodges and bill sponsor Representative David Meeks of Greenbrier contend more concealed carry holders in school buildings serve as a deterrent to shootings.
“You’ve heard this with the other concealed carry bill for college campuses,” said Hodges. “Really what we’re shooting for is a deterrent effect because we think that somebody that would want to do harm or possibly kill somebody would go somewhere without guns.”
Walker too saw a link to the concealed carry on college campuses bill, still at the committee at level, that would allow concealed carry on college campuses. That measure previously failed to make it out of committee on a tied vote.
“What he’s doing basically is laying the groundwork for more expanded legislation. They’re leading back up to the Charlie Collins bill that would allow guns in universities and really open carry. I wouldn’t be surprised that within in the next couple years you’ll have people coming out here wearing guns and holsters on the public display,” said Walker.
The relationship between private schools and public funds came under Walker’s scrutiny. Walker contended private schools shouldn’t have gun policies apart from public schools.
“Pulaski Academy [in Little Rock] is a public school. They can’t turn people down, especially on account of race. They take special education funds, they take ESL funds, they take all kinds of public funds and thereby they subject themselves to governmental regulation,” said Walker.
Pulaski Academy describes itself as an independent private school.
Walker's viewpoint is counter to the nature of private schools according to Hodges, “to me that just defeats the purpose of a private schools. The idea is that they are different and they offer something unique to students. They still have to meet certain standards by the state but they are private and they should be able to offer different solutions to our problems.”
