There is something to be said for how irresponsible lawmakers are and how disconnected they can be from reality. And SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is saying it. On Wednesday, the commissioner said that other schools will decline opportunities to play at Ole Miss and Mississippi State if pending gun legislation is enacted.
The bill, which passed the Mississippi House of Representatives on Wednesday, will allow gun owners an enhanced firearms license to sue for the ability to carry firearms in courthouses and public property, including universities.
There are not enough words in the dictionary, or in all the dead languages in world history, to illustrate how much of a bad idea that is.
Sankey made his comments in correspondence to the presidents of the state’s two largest universities in response to House Bill 1083. He wrote that the bill’s passage has the “potential to introduce concealed carry weapons into stadiums, arenas and other college sports venues.”
If the law is enacted, he added that “game officials will decline assignments, personal safety concerns will be used against Mississippi’s recruiting process and fan attendance will be negatively impacted.”
Sankey’s letter was sent to Mississippi State president Mark Keenum and Ole Miss chancellor Jeffrey Vitter.
Arkansas passed a similar law last year but quickly amended it to keep guns from being allowed at venues such as Razorback Stadium. The law was changed at the SEC’s urging.
Kansas also passed a similar law last year that allowed concealed carry weapons on campuses in the state for the first time. Essentially, head coaches at schools in Kansas can’t ban weapons in their programs. It would be against the law. Concealed carry gun owners in Kansas in such a situation require neither a permit nor training. Oh my God!
The Mississippi bill passed the House 80-29. It must pass the Senate and be signed by the governor to become law.
