JACKSON, Miss. - The Jackson City Council is likely to repeal a law that made convenience stores have a security guard on the premises from 12 am to 5 am, the Jackson Clarion Ledger reports. The mandate has not been enforced since it became law in September.

Part of the problem has been the ordinance€™s lack of penalties for violations. Former Councilman Kenneth Stokes had sponsored the law as a way to make 24-hour convenience stores safer after a series of shootings. But opponents labeled the law as unfair and costly.

Convenience store operators expressed concerns over the cost of hiring a security guard and the lack of clarity of the law.

Now, Ward 1 Councilman Quentin Whitwell is leading the charge for its overturn, calling the measure not well considered before its implementation. "It just goes to my philosophy that I try to share at the council as much as possible," he said. "Before we do anything, we need to think it through."

Whitwell also pointed out that the city mandate could have far-reaching influence, including trade associations looking to propose state laws preventing cities from this sort of legislation. "An overreaction could end up causing (local governments) to basically have to cede the authority that they have," he said. "We could just deal with it at the city level so that it doesn't end up being something that's debated at the state that could cause more problems than it fixes."

Currently, the repeal motion is awaiting committee assignment in the council. It€™s unclear whether the council would support the overturn of the law or not.