I hope by the time this is published, or shortly thereafter, the collective wisdom of the Mississippi Legislature which at times is in short supply will have shot down a proposal making it likely more people will be packing guns in college football stadiums, classrooms and dormitories.
There are differences of opinion on just how much Rep. Andy Gipson’s bill, which has passed the House, changes the rules on where guns are allowed.
Gipson, a Republican from Braxton who is both a lawyer and a preacher, maintains that under present state law people with enhanced carry permits can already legally take their weapons onto public property.
His bill gives enhanced carry holders the right to file lawsuits against public entities that restrict that right. “Certain agencies have adopted and put into place policies, rules and signs that do not follow the law we’ve had since 2011,” he said. “This provides a process for enhanced holders to challenge.”
Those agencies Gipson references include state universities that designate part of their campuses as public places — such as the Grove at Ole Miss — where anyone can go without a ticket and private places such as the football stadium where you have to have a ticket on game day and are restricted to what you can take into the stadium.
Gibson’s legislation would make it more likely that more people would be attending college football games and other athletic events, as well as classrooms, carrying firearms.
The leaders of the state’s universities have come out against the bill, as has the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.
In fact SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey has suggested that teams might be reluctant to play in Mississippi if the legislation becomes law.
In a Feb. 7 letter to Mississippi State President Mark Keenum and University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeff Vitter, Sankey wrote, “Given the intense atmosphere surrounding athletic events, adding weapons increases meaningful safety concerns and is expected to negatively impact the intercollegiate athletics programs at your universities in several ways.”
Should House Bill 1083 pass, it “…is likely that competitors will decline opportunities to play in Oxford and Starkville, game officials will decline assignments, personal safety concerns will be used against Mississippi’s universities during the recruiting process and fan attendance will be negatively impacted.”
Perhaps Sankey is exaggerating. But maybe not.
Either way, university officials should continue to be allowed to monitor and restrict what is carried into their stadiums, classrooms and dormitories.
If Ole Miss can restrict you from carrying a bottle of whiskey, a cowbell or a Rebel flag on a stick into the stadium, it should be allowed to also ban your pistol.
This isn’t to imply that some folks don’t sneak liquor into the stadiums. I have noticed some alcohol consumption at Vaught-Hemingway as recently as last season. Cowboy boots seem to be an especially good location to conceal those small bottles like they serve on airlines.
But there isn’t nearly as much of it as before gate attendants started checking bags as they scan tickets.
I wouldn’t be surprised, too, if there aren’t a few concealed pistols carried into the stadium; but not nearly as many as there would be if somehow the state policy is changed to let them freely in.
It is ironic that at the same time Republicans in the House voted to make it easier for those who want to take guns to ball games to sue the universities, other Republican sponsored legislation is purposed to stop the state attorney general from suing corporations that might be trying to rip off Mississippians.
One thing Gipson’s bill has done which is not unprecedented but which only occurs on rare occasions: The athletic directors at Mississippi State and Ole Miss are united against it.
I hope the House reconsiders and/or a majority in the State Senate will use better sense and kill this bill.
