Mississippi law allows armed church members

Associated Press

JACKSON, Miss.

Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill Friday that allows some members of churches to undergo firearms training so they can provide armed security for their congregations.

The Church Protection Act specifies that those designated can carry guns into church buildings and gives them legal protections. It also allows people to carry holstered weapons without a permit.

Only two states – Georgia and North Dakota – prohibit all guns from places of worship, said Taylor Maxwell, a spokesman for Everytown for Gun Safety, which advocates for gun-control laws. Eight states prohibit concealed carry permit holders from carrying guns into places of worship; other states leave it up to the place of worship.

Opponents say the law endangers people by putting more guns in untrained hands.