AR county votes to allow workers to carry on job

The Garland County, AR, Quorum Court has voted in favor of allowing county employees with concealed carry permits to bring firearms to work, Associated Press reported.
The Quorum Court repeatedly deflected motions to give the plan more consideration before voting 9-3 in favor of it recently, according to the Sentinel-Record Justices of the Peace Denise Marion, Dave Reagan and Ellen Varhalla voted against the ordinance.
Marion and Reagan challenged the majority’s stance that the ordinance is about safety.
“What message are we sending citizens who conduct business at county offices when they’re served by an armed clerk or elected official?” Reagan said. “We are a modern, civilized society, not the lawless Wild West of the 1800s.”
Marion proposed two amendments that would have required permitted employees to receive live fire training and civilian response training. Both amendments failed to pass.
Rep. Mickey Gates was one of 74 House members to vote for the state act that allows for the plan.
“All it takes is a bad guy with a gun to get it right once,” Gates told the quorum.