Arkansas lawmakers react to proposed ‘gun show loophole’ closure

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – After the Department of Justice announced a plan Thursday to close the so-called gun show loophole, Arkansas lawmakers reacted.

The proposal would tighten the requirements on those who sell guns. If anyone sells guns for profit, they must have a federal firearms license under the proposed rule. Those who have an FFL are required to do background checks on all buyers.

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Lawmakers who responded were unilaterally opposed to the change.

Rep. French Hill (AR-02) sees the proposed change as an attack on the Constitution’s 2nd Amendment.

“The Biden Administration has infringed on our Second Amendment rights since they took office,” Hill said. “President Biden’s radical rulemaking is harming law-abiding businesses and is criminalizing law-abiding Americans.”

The 400-plus page rule change would only criminalize Americans who are following the current law, the congressman added. Laws like this should be addressed by states, he said.

Rep. Rick Crawford (AR-01) said he did not think the law change would have the intended effect.

“Despite what White House officials think, this new regulation will not make our communities safer from gun violence,” Crawford said. “People who illegally use guns to commit crimes don’t care about background checks or filling out paperwork. The government’s own National Firearms Commerce and Trafficking Assessment from 2023 showed that more than 1 million guns were stolen over a 5-year period from private citizens.”

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Crawford concluded that the Biden administration needs to focus its efforts on crime and criminals.

Rep. Steve Womack (AR-03) sees the proposed change as a constitutional attack.

“Eroding the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens does not prevent senseless, horrific acts of violence,” Womack said. “The rule is an overreach and political ploy by President Biden ahead of an election, and it’s absent of real solutions to promote a safer America.”

Rep. Bruce Westerman (AR-04) was skeptical, indicating he and his colleagues would defund it if it became law.

“Today’s announcement by the DOJ is just another overreaching step by the Biden Administration in its attack on Americans’ Second Amendment Rights,” Westerman said. “I’ve already signed onto legislation to defund this rule, and I am working with my colleagues to advance further legislative solutions to defend our Second Amendment rights and directly counteract this onerous regulation.”

Attorney General Tim Griffin indicated his office is either mounting or participating in a legal challenge to what is being proposed.

“I have opposed this unlawful rule from the beginning, having joined 25 other attorneys general and a state legislature in voicing our opposition,” Griffin said. Now that the rule has been finalized, I am reviewing my legal options. But the bottom line is this rule is clearly unlawful and should be withdrawn.”

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Senators John Boozman and Tom Cotton’s office were contacted for a response to the law change but had not responded by the time this story was published. When they respond the story will be updated.

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