GULFPORT, MS — In a closely contested decision on Tuesday, the Gulfport City Council voted 4-3 to pass an ordinance restricting open carry firearms at public meetings in City Hall, while approving a contract with Swetman Security Service Inc. to use metal-detecting wands on attendees. The vote, which saw an unusual split along party lines, raised significant questions about the need for local regulation when similar restrictions are already mandated by state law.
Under Mississippi law, open carry and standard concealed firearms are already prohibited in public meeting spaces, except for those with enhanced concealed carry permits. The ordinance replicates these prohibitions but adds a local enforcement mechanism, which critics, including Council President F.B. “Rusty” Walker, argue is redundant and infringes on constitutional rights.
Why Create a New Law?
The debate centered on whether Gulfport needed an ordinance at all. Councilmember R. Lee Flowers, who co-sponsored the measure, claimed the ordinance was necessary to formalize compliance with state statutes and address safety concerns raised by some council members.
“This ordinance simply implements what state law authorizes us to do,” Flowers said. “It ensures that we’re creating a safe environment for public meetings.”
Walker strongly disagreed, calling the ordinance unnecessary and its accompanying security measures intrusive. “We’re regulating something that’s already regulated by state law,” Walker argued. “And now we’re adding measures that encroach on both Second and Fourth Amendment rights.”
Walker’s criticism extended to the Swetman Security contract, which mandates metal-detecting wands for all attendees, including those with enhanced carry permits. While enhanced carry permit holders are legally allowed to carry firearms in public meetings, the wanding process would force them to disclose their firearms — a requirement Walker called unconstitutional.
“You want people to disclose what they’re carrying?” Walker said. “How are you going to make somebody say what’s in their purse or pocket? We have Second and Fourth Amendment rights for a reason, and we’re not going to violate them while I’m on this council.”
In a sarcastic critique of the security measures, Walker added, “If you’d like, we could probably contract the TSA to strip-search everyone outside before they walk in. Where does this stop?”
An Unlikely Political Divide
The 4-3 vote revealed a rare fracture in Gulfport’s Republican-majority council. Council President F.B. “Rusty” Walker, IV (R), Myles Sharp (R), and Kenneth Casey, Sr. (D) opposed the ordinance, while R. Lee Flowers (R), Ron Roland (R), Richard Kosloski (R), and Ella Holmes-Hines (D) voted to approve it.
While Holmes-Hines voiced concerns about public safety, she questioned the need for local duplication of state law and emphasized the importance of law enforcement being informed about who is armed during meetings.
“If someone’s carrying, our public safety officers need to know,” Holmes-Hines said. “But forcing disclosure through wanding opens up concerns about rights we shouldn’t ignore.”
The NRA Reacts
The ordinance’s passage drew immediate backlash from the National Rifle Association (NRA), which criticized Gulfport for enacting what it called “a solution in search of a problem.”
“Gulfport has not experienced any issues related to open carry at council meetings,” the NRA said in a statement. “Law-abiding citizens are being unfairly targeted, while criminals will simply ignore another so-called ‘gun-free zone.’”
The NRA also objected to the wanding policy, arguing it places an unnecessary burden on enhanced carry permit holders and infringes on their privacy.
What Comes Next
The ordinance and security contract now await action from Gulfport Mayor Billy Hewes, who can approve or veto the measures. The NRA has urged its members to contact the mayor’s office and request a veto, citing concerns over constitutional rights and the redundancy of the new regulations.
Walker, meanwhile, criticized the council for creating a false sense of security. “We already have armed officers in the room. If you’re worried, worry about what happens when you walk out to your car at night,” Walker said. “This ordinance does nothing but create a layer of bureaucracy on top of laws that already exist.”
For now, the spotlight shifts to Mayor Hewes as he weighs his next move.
