Hall and Rainwater Spar Over Constitutionality of Bill of Rights Ordinance
Author Tammy Teague
It was a passionate and heated discussion over the proposed Bill of Rights ordinance in Sebastian County on Tuesday evening, June 16.
U.S. renowned Constitutionalist KrisAnne Hall spoke passionately about the responsibility of the quorum court to pass and protect the God given rights of the people. “The founders who wrote the Constitution were begging you to defend the rights of the people,” stated Hall. “This ordinance is more than the right to keep and bear arms. This ordinance ensures that the people of Sebastian County are free from unconstitutional enforcement.”
Mike Rainwater, the attorney for the Association of Counties, responded stating “…Sebastian County is not in the firearms business…not only is this ordinance unconstitutional, but illegal…further if you enact this ordinance you are not upholding your oath of office.”
Rainwater added that he had prepared an alternative version of the ordinance that “is drafted without defects.” However, Hall responded that Rainwater’s draft was “ineffective, with no teeth.”
Hall and Rainwater spared back and forth and took questions from the members of the court. In the end, the court thanked both Rainwater and Hall for their time and attendance.
Sebastian County Judge David Hudson asked the court, “what is the will of the body?” In a vote of 9 to 4, the original Bill of Rights Ordinance failed. The motion was made and seconded to not read Rainwater’s drafted ordinance, therefore no further action was taken.
Voting FOR:
Johnny Hobbs, Jim Medley, Shawn Looper and Jackie Davis.
Voting AGAINST:
James Butler, John Spradlin, Danny Aldridge, Valeria Robinson, Rhonda Royal, Dickie Robertson, Linda Murry, Stephen Schwartz and Karly Reedy.