Arkansas Enshrines Gun Rights as Massachusetts Keeps Chapter 135
Arkansas voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday that extends the right to keep and bear arms to ammunition, firearm accessories, and components, with nearly 71 percent voting yes. On the same ballot, Massachusetts voters rejected a repeal of the state's latest gun law. Question 9, which keeps Chapter 135 in force, drew about 67 percent. In Colorado, Amendment 83, a proposal to establish a right to hunt and fish, failed. Early unofficial results showed 43 percent in favor and 56 percent opposed. Gun owners got a split verdict, with a small local tax win in Lea County, New Mexico, offsetting the losses.
Key Details
The results break down by state and measure:
- Arkansas: The amendment passed with almost 71 percent. It states the right covers possession and use of ammunition, accessories, and components, and that it applies to hunting, recreation, and all other lawful purposes.
- Lea County, New Mexico: Voters approved a 0.001 percent tax on gross receipts in the county's unincorporated areas. The tax is expected to raise close to $1,000,000 a year for legal defense against government overreach, including challenges to new gun control laws passed by the state legislature. The vote was 6,665 for and 5,501 against, a margin of nearly 10 points.
- Idaho: The Winchester Model 1873 led the voting for state firearm with a little more than 30 percent as of early Wednesday. The Winchester Model 1894 placed second with about 25 percent. The legislature must still act to make the designation official. House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, picked the candidates and said he favored historical significance over current popularity. The bill honors the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
- Massachusetts: Question 9 kept Chapter 135 in place with about 67 percent. Several western and central towns, plus a cluster near Cape Cod, voted for repeal. Boston and its suburbs cast more than 80 percent to keep the law, which sank the initiative.
- Colorado: Amendment 83 would have named hunting and fishing as the preferred tools for managing wildlife populations. Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action, said trophy hunters outspent the No on 83 campaign more than 3 to 1, and that voters rejected the measure.
Background
Colorado already restricts wildlife trapping. Pacelle pointed to the state's ban on steel traps and baiting, which voters approved decades ago. Amendment 83 targeted that framework by writing hunting and fishing into the state's wildlife policy at the constitutional level. Massachusetts Chapter 135 is the state's latest gun control package, and repeal supporters tried to strike it through the initial referendum process. Arkansas moved in the opposite direction. Its voters now write a broad protection for the right into the state constitution, which gives courts a textual anchor for challenges to ammunition restrictions and accessory bans. Under New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen (2022), courts must test gun laws against the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. That test already shapes how challenges move through federal and state courts, and a clear state constitutional text adds another layer to that fight.
Why It Matters for Gun Owners
Arkansas residents now have a state constitutional guarantee that covers the full chain of gun ownership, from the rifle to the box of ammunition to the scope on top. If a future legislature tries to tax or restrict ammunition, expect lawyers to cite this amendment first. Gun owners in Massachusetts, though, still live under Chapter 135, and that law stays in force. Anyone who buys, transports, or stores firearms there should check the current rules before making a move. Colorado hunters lost a constitutional push to lock in their access, which means the state's wildlife debate will continue through the legislature and agency rulemaking. Lea County's tax measure matters for a different reason. It shows that rural voters will fund legal defense directly when state lawmakers pass new restrictions. Watch for similar local measures in other counties, especially in states where the legislature has moved against gun owners.
DownRange Analysis
Arkansas's amendment is the strongest result of the night because it spells out protections for ammunition and accessories. Those items often get hit first by regulators and by blue-state legislatures. Under Bruen, a court will still ask whether a restriction matches historical tradition, but the state constitution now gives plaintiffs a clear textual hook. The Massachusetts result shows the limits of a referendum fight in a state where urban turnout decides the outcome. The 80 percent margin in Boston and its suburbs ended repeal. Colorado's loss tells the same story from a different angle. Hunting and fishing are popular in the Mountain West, but the coalition outside those communities decides statewide votes. Gun owners should do three things now. Check your state's current ammunition and accessory rules, read the actual text of any ballot measure before voting, and support local funding for legal defense when your county puts it on the ballot.
