Wisconsin has just passed a law allowing people to carry concealed guns, and that has the police in Green Bay wondering whether they can stop people from carrying guns into Lambeau Field.
“Right now we’re dissecting the law. We are reading it. We’re going to consult with the city’s attorneys, with the Packers organization,” Green Bay Police Captain Paul Ebel told Fox 11. “I think common sense will prevail in something like that.”
Assuming that common sense will prevail is probably not a good idea, because when it comes to issues relating to guns, there are sharp disagreements on what constitutes “common sense.” Some people think it’s common sense that no one should have the right to carry a gun into a football stadium. Other people think it’s common sense that no one should be deprived of the right to carry a gun into a football stadium.
According to Fox 11, the NFL has a policy that fans aren’t allowed to carry guns into any stadium. But depending on how Wisconsin’s new law is interpreted, the NFL may not have the right to enforce that policy: The stadium is owned by the City of Green Bay and Green Bay/Brown County Professional Football Stadium District, not the NFL.
The Stadium District’s executive director, Pat Webb, said he’s not sure what the new law means.
“I don’t know enough about Wisconsin’s specific law to know if the stadiums are exempt or not or can be exempt,” Webb said.
They’ll need to figure that out before the law takes effect this fall.