Appeal to All Mississippi Members

[45crittergitter]

Now to address section 97-37-17: If you look at subsection 7-e of section 97-37-17, it states "(e) Any person as authorized in Section 97-37-7 while in the performance of his official duties". Since the new law amends Section 97-37-7, it seems that this requirement is now met, but I'll be the first to admit that I don't know everything.

97-37-7 and 97-37-17 are not really related. 7 refers to cops and licensed guards, etc. 17 refers to both students and non-students on school property. 17 is the section in question here.

For the record, I DO NOT recommend Cargill's instruction.

 

[bigbuckmg]

While they are not necessarily directly related, 17 allows carry to those authorized in 7. 7 is the section amended by the new law. The amendment includes CCW holders with special training:

1 AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 97-37-7, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO
2 AUTHORIZE ALL PROSECUTORS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS TO CARRY CONCEALED
3 WEAPONS; TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PERSONS WHO HAVE HAD FIREARMS
4 TRAINING TO CARRY WEAPONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
6 SECTION 1. Section 97-37-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is
7 amended as follows
etc, etc, etc

 

[Ben86]

2 AUTHORIZE ALL PROSECUTORS AND PUBLIC DEFENDERS TO CARRY CONCEALED
3 WEAPONS; TO AUTHORIZE CERTAIN PERSONS WHO HAVE HAD FIREARMS
4 TRAINING TO CARRY WEAPONS; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

What exactly that means is what I am wondering.

 

[billinms]

I assure you folks that being able to walk past a posted sign with ccw+ will in no way stop a property owner from being able to ask you to leave if he sees your gun and he doesn't want it there. This will only align us with other states where signs have no legal enforcement. I believe Florida is the same way, IIRC.

 

[45crittergitter]

Bigbuck, I think you're right, EXCEPT 7 stipulates "while in the performance of their official duties," which will practically exclude private CCW holders and continue to cover only cops, licensed guards, etc.

I've spoken with a couple of gun-savvy attorneys including a former judge about the issue, and they agree the different sections are confusing and could be interpreted more than one way. Both advised me not to be the test case for CCW on school property.

Ben, what it means is in the bill. Those with gun safety training from a nationally recognized organization that provides such training (NRA), can CCW with a license in places that those with a license and no such training cannot.

 

[razorback2003]

Do you folks in MS happen to know how this bill will affect those with out of state licenses? I live in the Memphis area on the TN side of the state line and have a TN handgun carry permit. We are required by the state to have training and live fire qualification to get our handgun carry permit. I am curious if our handgun carry permit will be honored like this new license and we will be able to carry in more places in MS. I go to Southaven and Olive Branch a lot. Thanks.

 

[Ben86]

I would imagine your permit would be given the same freedoms as ours, as this I believe is how reciprocity works. I'll try to find out.

 

[45crittergitter]

razorback, that's a good question and I don't know the answer. I doubt there's good news for you. I would carry a copy of my training proof/certificate along with my out of state permit, in case I needed to show I had training. MS is supposed to be adding an indication of training on our permits, but that won't change other permits. However, the new law says permit + training, but it doesn't REQUIRE that training be noted on the permit for you to be legal.

Just FYI, the governor has signed Mississippi House Bill 881, which redundantly includes the same language as already-passed HB 506, allowing for the "enhanced" CCW permits with training, and removing most of the previously prohibited places from the list of places you cannot carry with a permit, if you have the enhanced permit. This takes effect July 1.

 

[billinms]

45 cg,

I suppose we'll have to wait for dps to write up the regs for this to know the particulars of it. Can you give us any info on these training classes? and where they might be held? Also costs?

Just curious.

 

[razorback2003]

I actually got my first license in Arkansas. I was never given a 'certificate' of any training because my firearms qualifier/instructor there signed all my paperwork that was sent to the AR State Police. That has been quite some time back. I then moved to TN where I got my TN handgun carry permit without going through the TN handgun course because I already did a course with range qualification in Arkansas.

Thanks for providing this information as it comes out, especially for those of us in other states.

 

[45crittergitter]

It appears that any "national" firearms group (i.e., NRA) training will work, as well as possibly some other if recognized by DPS, who has been silent so far. I know that Joe Rankin in Rankin County and Clyde Morgan's range at Forest will offer NRA courses. I assume most ranges or stores that have training will do the same. The bill says nothing about obtaining training in MS, so get it wherever you are.