Cherokee County Appraiser Mark Hixon sometimes brings his Smith & Wesson pistol to work.

“In today’s world, how do you know?” Hixon asked.

A new Kansas law that went into effect July 1 allows public employees such as Hixon to take their weapons with them while on official business, not just to the office. The law does not apply to school employees, and counties and cities can prohibit concealed carry in public buildings and public areas if there is adequate security at public access entrances.

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John Donohue, a law school professor at Stanford University who has studied the impact of conceal carry laws, said a recent study by the FBI of 160 active shooter scenarios found that they were stopped by police or active-duty military, not armed bystanders.

“It seems like it won’t provide any benefits and likely will provide costs,” Donohue said of the new law.