Republican legislators for Washington state have proposed a new bill which, if passed, would end the ban on concealed firearms inside public sporting venues. The bill, supported by representatives Matt Shea, David Taylor and Bob McCaslin, is expected to be introduced during the January legislative session.
According to The Huffington Post, House Bill 105 is intended to prevent stadiums from prohibiting “persons with a valid concealed pistol license” from carrying a licensed firearm “in any facility or on any grounds of a facility.” This would have a significant effect on both the Mariners’ Safeco Field and the Seahawks’ CenturyLink Field in Seattle, as both are privately operated but housed on public land. Both the MLB and the NFL have a strict no-weapon policy in-stadium.
Brian McCarthy, vice president of communications for the NFL, told KOMO News that the organization has not yet seen the proposed bill.
Seattle sports fans weighed in on the issue, voicing mainly concern for spectator safety when the crowd mentality gets heated. "I think it's horrible, especially at a football game because I know people get so riled up sometimes," Seahawks fan Shirley Campbell told KOMO News. "All it takes is just a second for somebody to get angry and do something stupid.”
Dan Hyseni, another fan, put it simply; "There’s no need for it," he said.
