Gov. Phil Bryant has made headlines again this month by signing the Church Protection Act which specifies that those designated can carry guns into church buildings, according to the Associated Press.
The bill also allows people to carry holstered weapons without a permit.
The Mississippi Association of Police Chiefs has opposed the portion of the bill that loosens permit requirements. The group says the legislation dismantles Mississippi's licensing system and makes it harder to check if someone who has a gun isn't a violent criminal.
Republican State Representative Andy Gipson says the law gives small congregations an option to defend themselves against attacks. He proposed the bill as a response to the slayings last year of nine people at a church in Charleston, South Carolina.
This comes just weeks after Bryant signed the Religious Freedom bill, HB 1523, which some say discriminates against homosexuals. Republican candidate John Kasich was not happy about the governor's decision and asked, "What the hell are we doing in this country?"