On November 28th, the Fayetteville City Council voted 9 to 1 to adopt an unnecessarily restrictive ordinance to address the Local Park Carry provisions of House Bill 650, as previously reported here and here. As you may recall, HB 650 removes the absolute authority of local governments when it comes to deciding if Right-to-Carry (RTC) permit holders may lawfully carry their firearms into parks under the control of local governments. This new law, which went into effect on December 1, allows localities to impose some restrictions on carrying in certain parks by permittees, although it does not mandate these restrictions.
This ordinance passed by the Fayetteville City Council last week will unnecessarily prohibit the lawful concealed carrying of firearms in parks with recreational facilities. Areas where citizens will be deprived of their right to self-defense now include the city pool and city parks with recreational buildings, playgrounds, and ball fields. State law, however, still allows for lawfully concealed handguns to be stored in locked vehicles at these locations.
It is imperative that members of the Fayetteville City Council hear your opposition to this restrictive ordinance! Contact City Council members today and tell them their decision to ignore your right to self-defense based on an arbitrary definition is unacceptable and that this ordinance should be amended to allow lawful concealed carry in ALL Parks- including ones with recreational facilities.
You can find contact information for City Council members by clicking here.