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STARKVILLE, Miss.— Mississippi State University President Mark E. Keenum expressed serious concerns over the potential impacts and ramifications of Mississippi House Bill 1083, which passed the Mississippi House of Representatives earlier today:
“We have a fundamental responsibility to protect our students, faculty, staff and visitors to our campus. In recent years, the Mississippi Board of Trustees of Institutions of Higher Learning adopted policies to allow concealed weapons into ‘public’ venues on campus, but has not allowed firearms into areas determined ‘non-public’ such as classrooms and residence halls. We have great concerns about the prospect of a broad expansion of the existing IHL policies regarding firearms being brought onto campus because of the increased risk it would pose for every member of our campus community.
”I believe that a majority of the parents of the outstanding young people we are entrusted with educating and nurturing share my concerns about the passage of this bill and with it the introduction of firearms into our classrooms and our residence halls,” Keenum said.
As president of the Southeastern Conference, Keenum also spoke to a statement issued on HB 1083 by SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey in which the conference raised dire concerns about the future of conference sporting events at MSU and the University of Mississippi should the state adopt this legislation. Commissioner Sankey’s statement is attached.
February 7, 2018
Dr. Mark Keenum, President Dr. Jeffrey Vitter, Chancellor Mississippi State University University of Mississippi
PO Box 6018 123 Lyceum
Mississippi State, MS 39762 University, MS 38677
Dear President Keenum and Chancellor Vitter:
This letter is in response to proposed House Bill 1083 and its potential to introduce concealed carry weapons into stadiums, arenas and other college sports venues.
The University of Mississippi and Mississippi State University are founding members of the Southeastern Conference and each has established a long history of working with public safety officials to provide a safe environment for intercollegiate athletic competition.
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. If HB 1083 is adopted to permit weapons in college sports venues, 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. When similar laws have been introduced in the past, the SEC office has received clear statements of concern from our member universities due to safety concerns associated with the passage of such laws intended to allow weapons at our athletic events and sports venues.
It is our desire to see athletic events and sports venues exempted from proposed House Bill 1083.
The SEC’s universities work closely with public safety officials to ensure the safety of participants and fans in our competitive venues. We will continue to closely monitor the status of House Bill 1083. In the event House Bill 1083 becomes law and includes concealed carry in college sports venues, the SEC’s Presidents and Chancellors will consider existing SEC regulations and bylaws to determine appropriate modifications to scheduling, safety and officiating policies.
Sincerely,
Greg Sankey Commissioner (SEC)
