Guns can be carried openly or concealed in state and municipal parks, the Arkansas Attorney General said, but the ban on weapons at the Little Rock Zoo remains in question.
Assistant Attorney General Justin Hughes told lawmakers on the Game and Fish/State Police Subcommittee of the Arkansas Legislative Council on Monday that after two recent amendments to state law, guns in most public spaces are legal.
“For state parks, you are allowed to carry either openly or concealed within the park,” Hughes said.
The eight-page opinion, issued Friday by the attorney general’s office, came at the behest of state Rep. Sonia Eubanks Barker, R-Smackover, who asked about the amendments to state laws on where guns are allowed.
The opinion, authored by Hughes and approved by Attorney General Tim Griffin, does not clarify the status of guns at the Little Rock Zoo. The zoo sits inside War Memorial Park, but the city manager has banned guns inside the facility.
The opinion notes that the right to carry a concealed weapon generally excludes bringing weapons into municipal or state buildings and athletic events. The law still allows people with a concealed carry endorsement to bring weapons to those events.
The opinion means guns are allowed in 47 state parks. The ban on weapons remains in place in five parks that fall under the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers jurisdiction.
The ban on weapons in city and state buildings still stands.
“Whether you are permitted or not, you can carry in a state park,” said state Sen. Missy Irvin, R-Mountain View.
State Sen. Blake Johnson, R-Corning, noted the Little Rock Zoo has signs prohibiting firearms and cites the authority of the city manager to do so.
“I have always taken offense to that. I didn’t realize city managers were able to promulgate laws,” Johnson said. “But that’s what the sign says at the Little Rock Zoo.”
Hughes said the opinion doesn’t address that issue.
“We haven’t looked at the zoo itself,” Hughes said.
State Sen. Terry Rice, R-Waldron, asked about whether travelers from out of state can bring weapons into state-owned cabins or other, similar facilities.
Rice noted some travelers might be unwilling to leave their firearms at home or in a vehicle when staying overnight.
“Can people ask for permission to carry in state-owned buildings without permit?” Rice asked. “They’re not going to travel … to me it make sense that can we do this in a sensible way.”
Mike Wilson, the assistant director of state parks, said the agency is willing to work with visitors.
“We make every attempt to make accommodations,” Wilson said.
Neither the opinion, nor lawmakers during the hearing, tied the legal opinion to the death of two people, Clinton David Brink, 43, and Cristen Amanda Brink, 41, who were killed in July while they were hiking with their daughters on a trail in Devil’s Den State Park near West Fork. The girls were not injured and are safe with family members.
At the time of the attack, firearms were generally prohibited in state parks.
Andrew James McGann, 28, is charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the attack. Prosecutors said McGann killed the couple with knives and will face a death sentence if convicted. A judge has issued a gag order barring officials from commenting on any evidence or proceedings outside the courtroom.