The El Dorado-Union County Branch of NAACP is presenting a Legislative Awareness forum at 6 p.m. Feb. 21 in the South Arkansas Community College Library Auditorium. The topic will be Arkansas House Bill 1059, also known as “the stand your ground bill.”
Sponsored by state Rep. Aaron Pilkington, R-Clarksville, the proposed bill would remove from state law language that prohibits the use of deadly force during incidents in which a person has the opportunity to retreat.
A House Judiciary Committee hearing had been planned Feb. 6 for the bill. The hearing was postponed to allow Pilkington time to address concerns that have been raised by the Arkansas Sheriff’s Association, who opposes the bill. Pilkington also said he plans to make revisions that would remove protections for bystanders who intervene in heightened situations and use deadly physical force.
The NAACP forum is a part of the group’s public awareness series. The public is invited to attend.