Senate committee rejects bill to bar Arkansas cooperation with ATF after hours of testimony

At a meeting of the City, County & Local Affairs Committee — Senate, lawmakers heard more than three hours of testimony on SB399, the “Anti‑ATF Commandeering Act,” before the committee rejected the measure after debate and an amendment. Sponsor Senator Stubblefield said the bill would bar state and local agencies from providing material aid to enforce federal firearms regulations.

The measure’s sponsor framed the bill as a protection of state sovereignty and a guard against federal overreach. Senator Stubblefield said the anti‑commandeering principle is rooted in the Constitution’s Tenth Amendment and noted a Supreme Court decision he described as central to the doctrine. “We don’t have to cooperate with those federal authorities,” he told the committee.

Supporters of SB399, including gun‑rights activists and family members of a Little Rock man killed during an ATF‑led search, urged the committee to restrict federal agencies’ ability to enlist local officers. Leah Herron, a board member of Gun Owners of Arkansas and a firearms instructor, said she feared that an unannounced predawn search like the one that resulted in the death of Brian Malinowski could happen to any Arkansan. “This act is very important to protect…