Arkansas Passes Bill to Ban Guns at Sporting Events

Arkansas has survived its first crisis of the offseason.

After generating a flood of negative coverage last week after passing House Bill 1249 to allow some concealed carry activity to happen on Arkansas’ college campuses, including sporting events, the Arkansas House today passed Senate Bill 724, which will prohibit guns at collegiate sporting events, as well as UAMS and state hospitals.

Passing the House was considered the biggest hurdle to gaining these exemptions. Governor Asa Hutchinson has already said he supports it and the bill passed the Senate earlier this week. The NRA was putting pressure on the House not to pass the new bill.

However, Representative Charlie Collins, who sponsored the initial bill, said on the House floor that he’s been assured there will still be sniper teams at Razorback Stadium for our protection. So there’s that.

I highly doubt that coverage of the Senate bill will be anywhere near the coverage of the original bill allowing the guns. As a result, it remains to be seen what kind of damage it might have done to the perception of the Arkansas athletic department to outsiders, including recruits. Hopefully it will soon be forgotten.