Re: Justify the unjustifiable

State OKs Guns In Parks, Pledge In Schools

By Doug Thompson Arkansas News Bureau dthompson@arkansasnews.com

LITTLE ROCK ‹ Arkansans would be allowed to carry handguns into public parks and restaurants under a bill approved Thursday by the state Senate. The Senate also passed a bill to require that the Pledge of Allegiance be recited in schools, although the measure exempts students whose parents object to the pledge on religious, philosophical or other grounds. House Bill 1359 by Rep. Sid Rosenbaum, R-Little Rock, would allow the holders of state concealed handgun permits to take their weapons into parks, but not to sporting events such as softball games or soccer matches. ³No guns at Little League games,² Senate sponsor Shawn Womack, R-Mountain Home, said. The bill passed 23-7. It already has passed the House and now goes to the governor. The guns would be allowed at firearm-related sporting events such as shooting matches. The measure also would allow the permit holders to carry concealed guns in restaurants that serve alcohol. The relatively few senators who opposed the bill put up a fight, however. Sen. Jim Argue, D-Little Rock, asked that the bill be sent back to the Senate Judiciary Committee so the committee could try to give ³a very bad bill at least one redeeming quality.² Judiciary Committee member Sen. Kim Hendren, R-Gravette, asked the senators to ³respect the committee system² and vote on the bill. Hendren later voted against the measure. ³Vote on this bill unless you think we did something crooked,² Hendren said. The motion to send the bill back was defeated on a voice vote. In debate on the bill itself, Womack told the senators that business owners and cities with parks would have the right to ban firearms in those places if the bill passed. ³We¹re not making any restaurant or any park let concealed weapons in,² Womack said. ³All they have to do is place a sign on the door or entrance saying that weapons are prohibited.² On the Pledge of Allegiance, Sen. Denny Altes, R-Fort Smith, presented House Bill 2388 by Rep. Jim Medley, R-Fort Smith. Medley¹s bill would require public school students to ³participate in a daily recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance during the first class of each school day.² Students who are exempt from reciting the pledge ³shall be required to remain quietly standing or sitting at their desks while others recite the pledge of allegiance.² Teachers or other school staff who have religious, philosophical or other grounds for objecting are exempt from leading or participating in the exercise. Tweet