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KANSAN.COM
NEWS
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Kansas Athletics to block guns from sports facilities
▶ MCKENNA HARFORD
@McKennaHarford
Kansas Athletics said it is drafting a plan to install security measures at entrances to Allen Fieldhouse. They have yet to present a plan to the Board of Regents.
Miranda Clark-Ubrich/KANSAN
While the state legislature is contemplating a repeal of the law allowing the concealed carry of handguns on campus, the University's athletics department is beginning to prepare for the change with increased security at sporting venues.
Jayhawk fans could soon be greeted by security guards and metal detectors at Allen Fieldhouse, Memorial Stadium and Rock Chalk Park, said Jim Marchiony, associate athletic director of public affairs for Kansas Athletics.
The security measurements are in response to a Kansas law that requires state universities to allow concealed guns on campus after July 1, unless there are adequate security measures at every entrance of a building.
Marchiony said there is currently no timeline for the security measures because Athletics is still drawing up a plan to present to the Board of Regents for approval.
Securing the three facilities will probably cost over $1 million, which will come from Athletics' operating budget, Marchiony said.
He doesn't expect the security measures to affect attendance, but said it could take longer for fans to get to their seats.
"I think if these safety measures are implemented, people might want to think of coming earlier just to see how it might work," Marchiony said.
Regents policy also states that tickets must feature a
notice that concealed weapons will not be allowed.
However, there is still a chance the security measures will not be necessary due to a bill in the Kansas Legislature that would permanently extend an exemption for concealed carry on college and university campuses.
The House Federal and State Affairs Committee heard testimony on the bill, HB 2074, on Wednesday morning.
Proponents say the bill reflects the views of students and faculty found in a 2015 survey conducted by the Docking Institute at Fort Hays State on concealed carry on campus. Among all Kansas college and universities, 82 percent of faculty and 70 percent of students are opposed to guns on campus, according to the survey.
At the hearing on Wednesday, University students and professors said having guns on campus would negatively impact the learning environment and create more concerns for student safety.
"I think if these safety measures are implemented, people might want to think of coming earlier,"
Jim Marchiony Associate athletic director of public affairs
Darren Canady, the director of the English department's undergraduate studies department, said guns can exacerbate situations or conversations, especially those involving race, class and sexual assault.
"Minoritized populations become even more at risk once guns are introduced," Canady said.
Opponents of the bill believe that it will infringe on Kansans' Second Amendment rights. Former Rep. Travis Couture-Lovelady of Hays said universities either need to allow law-abiding citizens to conceal carry on
campus or ensure that campus buildings are gun-free with security measures.
"The whole issue is adequate security," Couture-Lovelady said. "A sticker isn't enough."
Chair of the committee Rep. John Barker (R-Abilene) encouraged the proponents and opponents to speak with individual members of the committee as further action on the bill will not be immediate.