Issue 2 is not just another amendment on the ballot. It is the result of a direct request from Gun Owners of Arkansas to strengthen the Arkansas Constitution’s protection of the natural right to keep and bear arms.
We asked Arkansas legislators to make the constitutional protection stronger, clearer and more difficult for government to erode over time.
They listened.
The Legislature approved putting Issue 2 before the people of Arkansas.
And importantly, Issue 2 does not remove or weaken the existing principle that the right “shall not be infringed.” It retains that protection while adding greater constitutional detail around it.
That distinction is critical.
For generations, Arkansas has relied on the words “shall not be infringed.” Those words remain important. But history has demonstrated that a declaration alone has not prevented governments from passing restrictions or courts from disagreeing over what constitutes an unconstitutional infringement.
Issue 2 keeps “shall not be infringed” and strengthens the constitutional foundation supporting those words.
It expressly recognizes the right as natural, fundamental and individual. That makes clear that the right is not a privilege created by government. It belongs to the individual.
Issue 2 also recognizes that exercising the right requires more than the firearm itself. It specifically protects ammunition, firearm components and firearm accessories.
That matters because a government should not be able to recognize a right in theory while making the practical exercise of that right increasingly difficult through restrictions on the things necessary to exercise it.
Issue 2 also identifies common defense, lawful hunting and recreational use, and any other lawful purpose as protected purposes.
The result is a more detailed constitutional framework while preserving the fundamental command that the right shall not be infringed.
This is about establishing a stronger constitutional starting point when government action affecting the right is challenged.
Laws change. Legislatures change. Courts change. Political attitudes change.
A constitutional right must be strong enough to withstand those changes.
That is why Issue 2 matters.
It takes the existing protection and builds upon it. It does not trade “shall not be infringed” for something else. It keeps those words and gives them a stronger constitutional foundation.
Gun Owners of Arkansas asked for this change because we believe Arkansas should have some of the strongest constitutional protections for the natural right to keep and bear arms in the nation.
The Legislature agreed that the request was important enough to put directly before the people.
Now the decision belongs to Arkansas voters.
We asked.
Legislators listened.
Issue 2 keeps “shall not be infringed” and strengthens the Constitution around it.
Now it is time for Arkansas to say YES.
Vote YES on Issue 2.
Gary Epperson
President
Gun Owners of Arkansas
