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Friday, March 8, 2013

Arkansas Politics Barnett cuts through knife regulations, ends city and county sales tax

Posted by Lindsey Millar on Fri, Mar 8, 2013 at 3:21 PM

Rep. Jonathan Barnett Arkansas knife image

BARNETT: I'll cut ya, gubmint!

Rep. Jonathan Barnett's (R-Siloam Springs) HB1668 is pretty simple. It would end all regulation of knives in Arkansas. Under the bill, no agency, board, city, commission, county, district, etc. could "enact an ordinance, rule, or tax relating to the transportation, possession, carrying, sale, transfer, purchase, gift, devise, licensing, registration, or use of a knife or components used to make a knife."

Knife is so broadly defined — "a cutting instrument that includes a sharpened or pointed blade" — that I assume it encompasses the likes of samurai swords and throwing stars.

I've got a call into Rep. Barnett, but the way I read the bill, it would stop public schools, for instance, from prohibiting knives (or samurai swords and throwing stars) on their campuses.

The bill passed out of the House Committee On City, County And Local Affairs. On a voice vote, I'm told.

But that was before the members received the Department of Finance and Administration's fiscal impact statement, which points out that since the bill calls for the end of anything "relating" to knives and city and county sales tax applies to knives, city and county sales tax collection would be repealed.

I'm told that Barnett won't push the bill forward in its current state, but it's one to keep an eye on.

Tags: Jonathan Barnett, knives, throwing stars, samurai swords

        
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