Missouri lawmakers have overridden a veto to allow concealed carry (Missouri already had open carry) and to grant more legal rights for self-defense.
Missouri lawmakers have overridden a veto of a wide-ranging guns bill that will let more people carry concealed weapons and give them greater legal rights to defend themselves.The Republican-led Legislature enacted the law Wednesday by a 24-6 Senate vote and a 112-41 vote in the House. Both exceeded the two-thirds majority needed to override the veto of Democratic Gov. Jay Nixon.The legislation will allow most people to carry concealed guns without needing a permit. That means they won’t have to go through the training currently required for permit holders. Missouri will join 10 other states with what supporters describe as a “constitutional carry” right.The measure also expands legal protections for those who use deadly force to defend themselves in both public and private places.
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The bill, SB 656, has generated mixed response from the usual suspects.
The Missouri chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America, part of Everytown for Gun Safety, issued a statement condemning the Republican state legislature for “caving” to pressure from the “gun lobby.”
“Missouri lawmakers buckled to the NRA instead of listening to the vast majority of Missouri voters, including mayors and law enforcement leaders, who support our current concealed carry permit system. And in doing so, they made our state the first new Stand Your Ground state since the death of Trayvon Martin.As if opposing lifesaving policies like criminal background checks on all gun sales wasn’t bad enough, the gun lobby continues to push to put more guns in more places, with no questions asked — laws that make the jobs of those who serve and protect us more difficult and more dangerous. Despite the clear message from law enforcement leaders about this bill’s risk to public safety, the NRA leadership made SB 656 its top national priority.
The New York Times, not to be outdone in hysterical rhetoric, entitled its editorial about the veto override “Missouri: The Shoot-Me State.”
In an alarming victory for the gun lobby, Missouri’s Republican-controlled Legislature voted Wednesday to override Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto and enact a wholesale retreat from gun safety in the state.
The law will let citizens carry concealed weapons in public without a state gun permit, criminal background check or firearms training. It strips local law enforcement of its current authority to deny firearms to those guilty of domestic violence and to other high-risk individuals. And it establishes a dangerous “stand your ground” standard that will allow gun owners to shoot and claim self-defense based on their own sense of feeling threatened.
The NRA has responded to the veto override with the following statement:
“This is a great day for freedom in Missouri. The legislature stood strong for the constitutional rights of law-abiding citizens by overriding Gov. Nixon’s misguided veto,” said Chris W. Cox, Executive Director of NRA’s Institute for Legislative Action. “Despite the best efforts of Michael Bloomberg and out-of-state gun control groups to defeat the override vote, their agenda was rejected.”Senate Bill 656 will allow anyone legally allowed to possess a firearm to carry that firearm, while also maintaining the current permit system. In addition, the bill:
- Expands Castle Doctrine and Stand Your Ground protection
- Adds additional permit options to include extended and lifetime permits
- Specifies that with the exception of credit card fees, no additional fee beyond $100 may be charged to process concealed carry permits
- Allows members of the military extra time to renew their permits
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