State senator wants clarity for law on guns in vehicles

[gejoslin]

State senator wants clarity for law on guns in vehiclesPosted: Mar 12, 2013 10:14 PM CDTUpdated: Mar 13, 2013 4:36 PM CDTBy Justin Lewis

LITTLE ROCK (KATV) -A new bill filed on Monday's deadline aims to give all Arkansans legal rights to carry guns in their vehicle without having any sort of certification.
Senate Bill 999 is just one sentence and pretty straightforward. Its wording designed to make sure having a gun in your car is not a criminal offense.
Tuesday Senator Alan Clark told Channel 7 this isn't just another bill promoting gun rights; it's for clarity in the law.
"I don't think it is against the law, but is perception of a lot of law enforcement that it is," said Senator Clark.
Clark said it wasn't his initial intention to try and pass this law, but after talking to fellow senators, the issue needed to be cleared up.
"I can't have it at a school, can't have it at any other place that the law says I can't have it, but if the law doesn't say that, then I can carry my gun," Clark explained about his bill when talking about it being in a person's vehicle.
During traffic stops do authorities believe guns in every glove box or under the seat in most vehicles make our cars a rolling artillery? One deputy said he already looks at it that way.
"I'm going to assume every car has a gun in it until proven otherwise," said Lieutenant Carl Minden with the Pulaski County Sheriff's Department. "If you watch us when we go up on a traffic stop there's certain ways we position ourselves, and just out mannerisms for officer safety."
Possessing a weapon in a vehicle is against state law, but if you scroll down to provision four, it states unless, "The person is carrying a weapon when upon a journey…"
A journey is defined by state police as not within your neighborhood, or outside your normal travel routine.
This gun bill could set new and straight-forward standards.
"I don't know that legislation is going to cure everything that everybody is worried about, but it does help that our legislators are concerned about it."
Of course if you have a concealed carry permit you're already okay to have it in your vehicle, but Senator Clark does not want to require other drivers to have that permit.
This legislation is set to go before a judiciary committee soon.

http://www.katv.com/story/21618633/state-senator-wants-clarity-for-law-on-guns-in-vehicles

 

[Gallstones]

How are you supposed to get it from the gun show or the store to your house if you can't legally have it in your car? Or from your house to the range or to go hunting?

 

[Dravintoad]

How are you supposed to get it from the gun show or the store to your house if you can't legally have it in your car? Or from your house to the range or to go hunting?

That is considered a "journey"

EDIT: To add to that...I was told by my CCW instructor, an officer in Springdale, that as long as you aren't on a regular routine, (e.g. to work and back) you can have your (hand)gun, in your car, loaded and accessible. Of course, this could cause trouble depending on what LEO pulls you over, so take that for what it's worth and not as the gospel. Because we all know one LEO's opinion differs from one another.