Senate Judiciary Committee advances SB24 after amendment, votes 5–2 to send bill forward

The Senate Judiciary Committee advanced Senate Bill 24 (SB24) after adopting an amendment and voting 5–2 to pass the bill out of committee.

Senator Ballinger, the bill’s sponsor, told the committee SB24 removes the statutory duty to retreat in most situations and inserts language making the code consistent about "physical force." Ballinger said the change would bring Arkansas in line with other states that do not impose a duty to retreat and that he worked with prosecutors and law‑enforcement groups to clarify exceptions for felon‑in‑possession and gang activity. "We worked real diligently with the prosecutor association, so they're neutral on this bill," Ballinger said during the presentation.

Matt Harriman, state director for the National Rifle Association, testified in support and urged the committee to vote for the measure. "This is a common sense measure that protects victims and is already the law in most of this country," Harriman told the committee.

Opponents — including Senator Stephanie Flowers and multiple public witnesses — urged the committee to reject SB24. Senator Flowers said she did not believe the bill represented "the best policy" and argued it could encourage people to avoid de‑escalation. In public testimony, Laura Cartwright Hardy of Moms Demand Action cited studies she said link 'stand your ground' laws to higher firearm homicide rates and disparate outcomes; she offered sources to the committee during her remarks.

Several witnesses and committee members questioned whether the change was necessary in Arkansas and asked for concrete case examples. Ballinger offered anecdotal examples and said the committee’s role is to set public policy where the law is ambiguous. Prosecutors Bob McMahon and Daniel Shue confirmed the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association had reviewed and approved the amendment that was before the committee.

Tim Loggins of Gun Owners of Arkansas and other witnesses raised technical concerns about the phrase "lawfully present," saying it could make ordinary, inadvertent conduct (for example, entering premises with a posted restriction) determinative for the availability of the defense. Loggins warned that removing the current "complete safety" retreat standard could create uncertainty in ordinary encounters.

After testimony and a short period for questions, the committee accepted a motion for immediate consideration, then voted on passage as amended. The roll‑call result recorded by the clerk was: Senator Stubblefield — yes; Senator Rice — yes; Senator Blake Johnson — yes; Senator Garner — yes; Senator Ballinger — yes; Senator Hendren — no; Senator Flowers — no. The bill advanced from committee.

The committee noted gaps that some members suggested should be addressed in separate legislation — including statutory language governing defense of an unborn child and clearer definitions of "lawfully present." The committee adjourned with the bill advanced; the next steps will be scheduling for further consideration by the full Senate according to chamber rules.

Note: witnesses cited several national and state studies during testimony; those studies were described and contested during the hearing. Where witnesses cited numeric claims (for example, comparative crime‑rate figures or study results), committee members debated their relevance and attribution on the record.