AP

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — The Sun Belt Conference says it wants college sporting events exempted from a new Arkansas law expanding where concealed handguns are allowed, the second conference to call for changes to the gun rights measure.

Sun Belt Commissioner Karl Benson said Thursday that he supports a proposal pending before the House to exempt the events from the gun law that Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed last week.

The new law allows people with concealed handgun licenses to carry on college campuses, in government buildings and some bars if they undergo up to eight hours of active-shooter training. Arkansas State University and the University of Arkansas at Little Rock are Sun Belt schools. The Southeastern Conference has also backed the exemption.

"During the last week I have followed closely the news articles regarding Arkansas House Bill 1249, and now also a potential amendment to what is now Act 562," Benson said in a statement. "Give that both the University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Arkansas State University are members of the Sun Belt Conference - and as my colleague Greg Sankey of the Southeastern Conference has stated - I too support the Arkansas State Senate's exemption in the Senate Bill 724 that would prevent firearms from being allowed inside publicly funded stadiums and arenas in the State of Arkansas

."The House plans to take up the exemption measure Thursday afternoon.