Arkansas To Become Fifth State with Constitutional Carry

[vvvvvvv]

source

Just did some poking around and found out it would take 155,216 signatures in 90 days to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in Oklahoma.

Around 35% of signatures will be thrown out due to things like wrong county, voter name not exactly as registered, signature not exactly the same as what the voter registered with, "voter" not even registered, etc.

You're looking at $4-6/signature between professional collectors and campaigning.



As for the state statute option, you don't want to go that route. The legislature is free to over turn a statute at any time. A Constitutional amendment requires the People to vote to reverse it.

 

[BIG_MIKE2005]

Outstanding. What the hell are we waiting for?

People in & out of our state government to pull their heads out.

 

[kd5rjz]

That's not how I read the law... http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Acts/Act746.pdf

 

[n2sooners]

Around 35% of signatures will be thrown out due to things like wrong county, voter name not exactly as registered, signature not exactly the same as what the voter registered with, "voter" not even registered, etc.

You're looking at $4-6/signature between professional collectors and campaigning.



As for the state statute option, you don't want to go that route. The legislature is free to over turn a statute at any time. A Constitutional amendment requires the People to vote to reverse it.

And there is also the problem of getting the amendment properly worded. It should be simple enough to understand with just enough legal speak so it's hard to abuse. And it must be something that can withstand challenge in court. It wouldn't be easy, but if the legislature won't take care of it this is the only other option. Those numbers are through 2014. Depending on turnout in 2014 it could go down since 2010 was an open seat with two women trying to become the first woman governor of Oklahoma.

 

[n2sooners]

That's not how I read the law... http://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/assembly/2013/2013R/Acts/Act746.pdf

(a) A person commits the offense of carrying a weapon if he or she possesses a handgun, knife, or club on or about his or her person, in a vehicle occupied by him or her, or otherwise readily available for use with a purpose to attempt to unlawfully employ the handgun, knife, or club as a weapon against a person.

It's kinda sketchy in a way I wouldn't want Oklahoma's law to be, but the way it is written you can have a weapon on you as long as you don't intend to use it unlawfully against another person. And since they decriminalized self defense that isn't an unlawful purpose. I'd wait for it to be tested in court by some other brave soul first.

 

[kd5rjz]

I read that, but they do also still mention the CCW license a few times... so I'm not sure constitutional carry was the goal of this law.

 

[n2sooners]

I read that, but they do also still mention the CCW license a few times... so I'm not sure constitutional carry was the goal of this law.

Not sure what the goal is, but the way it is written if you are carrying a weapon they have to prove you meant to use it unlawfully against someone for it to be illegal. Of course, if that's the way the court finds there isn't anything stopping them from further refining the bill later.

 

[AKguy1985]

Kudos to arkansas.

 

[n8thegr8]

115,000 shouldn't be that hard to reach. We have 23,000 members on this website. If even half wanted this, Everyone would just need to get 10 friends to sign up. If people started burning up facebook/twitter, even less. I'm sure we could get our local gun stores/shooting ranges to post up notices for the cause. Now getting enough people to vote for it after it's on the ballot, that's another story.

 

[vvvvvvv]

115,000 shouldn't be that hard to reach. We have 23,000 members on this website. If even half wanted this, Everyone would just need to get 10 friends to sign up. If people started burning up facebook/twitter, even less. I'm sure we could get our local gun stores/shooting ranges to post up notices for the cause. Now getting enough people to vote for it after it's on the ballot, that's another story.

Most people take the viewpoint of "someone else will do it".

Then you have the political campaign. There will be a lot of bad information out there, and people will believe it and accuse the petitioners of trying to swindle them.