Garner-backed bill would allow for Hunter Ed in schools

Arkansas District 27 Senator Trent Garner, R-El Dorado, has introduced a bill that would allow students to receive school credit for participating in Hunter Education and Firearm safety courses.

Under Senate Bill 161, public schools would be allowed to offer students in fifth through 12th grade a hunting safety course, and high school students would be able to receive school credit towards their required physical education from the course.

“I saw a couple of articles that people had shared from other states that adopted similar legislation and I thought that was an excellent tool to get the youth of today into hunting,” Garner said. “As you know, Arkansas is one of the biggest hunting states in all of America, from our great duck hunting to deer hunting. Unfortunately as we move more generations forward, it’s becoming less prevalent that people are getting that training from their parents.”

Currently, minors in Arkansas must participate in a

Hunter Education course to receive a hunting licence; the bill would allow them to get such education in school.

“It’s a win-win as far as teaching kids,” Garner said. ”I think it’s an important bill, not only for hunter safety, but for general firearm safety, I think that’s an important part of it. One of the biggest causes of accidental shooting is kids and others being ignorant of how guns work. If they had good training in a safe environment I think that would save a lot of kids’ lives and cause less misfortune which I also think is a critical element of this.”

The bill has been referred to the Senate Education Committee.