Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant signed a bill Friday allowing some members of churches to be armed.
The Church Protection Act allows some members to undergo firearms training so they can carry guns into church buildings to provide armed security.
People without a permit can also now carry holstered weapons.
The bill was authored by state Rep. Andy Gipson, a Baptist pastor, who said the bill was in response to last year’s massacre in Charleston, S.C. It gives smaller congregations the ability to defend themselves against an attack, Gipson said.
The Mississippi Association of Police Chiefs opposed the portion of the bill loosening permit requirements, saying it makes it harder to check someone to make sure someone who has a gun isn’t a violent criminal.
Mississippi is now the ninth state to allow people to carry holstered guns without a permit, NRA spokeswoman Amy Hunter told The Associated Press. Eight states prohibit concealed carry permit holders inside places of worship.
