In a Feb. 7 letter to Mississippi State President Mark Keenum and University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeff Vitter, Southeastern Conference commissioner Greg Sankey warned of the repercussions for those institutions if the bill becomes law. The letter warned “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.” Speaking at an alumni luncheon in Jackson, University of Mississippi Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter added his voice to state higher education officials’ concerns about the bill’s impact. Vitter noted the letter from the SEC commissioner, adding that while it was not stated directly in that letter, the bill could open the door for other SEC university leaders to vote Ole Miss and Mississippi State out of the conference. Vitter also expressed concern about guns in university classrooms, saying police officials have expressed concerns about arriving on a live shooting scene and not being sure who the shooter was and therefore having to shoot anyone with a weapon. Vitter’s concerned were echoed by several officials at Delta State University, including the campus police chief, athletic director and President William N. LaForge “A university is no place for guns — period,” LaForge said in a news release. “And that goes doubly for residence halls, classroom buildings and athletic facilities. To enable the legal carrying of guns on a university campus in today’s society is misdirected and unwise.” The bill must pass the Senate to become law.Rep. Charles Young, D-Meridian, on why he asked Speaker Gunn to remove him from the chamber after brandishing a handgun on the House floor. Young was speaking against a bill expanding conceal carry rights on college campuses #msleg pic.twitter.com/es3kSnUoaO
— R.L. Nave (@rlnave) February 8, 2018
“I believe in the 2nd Amendment. We’re taking it to an extreme. We want guns in schools, we want guns in churches, we want guns on the House floor and we need to acknowledge what our rules are,” Young said in an interview with Mississippi Today after being escorted out of the chamber.