Gun bill exemption advances after SEC commissioner speaks out

Southeastern Conference commissioner, Greg Sankey, speaks during an interview with The Associated Press, Monday, May 23, 2016, in Birmingham, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

— The Arkansas House Judiciary Committee advanced an exemption to Act 562 on Tuesday after Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey said the bill that would allow concealed firearms at sporting events is concerning to the league.

In a statement, Sankey said the league backs a measure - Arkansas Senate Bill 724 - that would exempt handguns from being permitted at athletic events on the University of Arkansas campus.

Sankey said former Arkansas House Bill 1249 - now Act 562 - "creates concerns" for the conference and its other 13 member schools. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Asa Hutchinson on Wednesday and expands where concealed carry licenses are permitted, including college campuses in the state.

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Hutchinson said Thursday he supports an exemption that would block guns from being permitted at college sporting events, the state medical hospital and the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock.

The Arkansas Senate voted 22-10 last week to exempt those locations. It's unclear when the House will vote on the measure.

"Given the intense atmosphere surrounding athletic events, adding weapons increases safety concerns and could negatively impact the intercollegiate athletics program at the University of Arkansas in several ways, including scheduling, officiating, recruiting and attendance," Sankey said in a statement sent to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

"HB1249 creates concerns for the Southeastern Conference and its member institutions. It remains our collective desire to provide a safe environment for student-athletes, coaches, officials and fans, and [we] will continue to closely monitor the status of this legislation."

Arkansas Football Coach Bret Bielema said Monday he had concerns about how the act would affect the safety of his players.

"They didn't call me in voting, I know that, so I tend not to comment too much on things," Bielema said. "I'm ultimately going to a kid in recruiting from around this country - and in [sophomore offensive lineman Hjalte Froholdt's] case, from around the world - and when I say to a parent, 'I take your son's safety to the highest degree in my heart,' I don't ever want to put that in jeopardy."

Without an exemption, guns would be permitted at Razorback Stadium while items such as umbrellas and artificial noise makers would be banned. The law is set to take effect in September, but allows Arkansas State Police until January to undergo additional training.

More than 220,000 people have concealed handgun licenses in Arkansas, according to the Associated Press. In a statement, the National Rifle Association said it is against any exemption to the law signed last week.

"We support the original legislation as signed into law," NRA spokesman Lars Dalseide said in an email to the AP on Thursday. "People should have the constitutional right to self-defense wherever they are legally allowed to be."

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report