Missouri: Pro-Gun Bill to be Heard in Conference Committee, Another goes to the Governor’s Desk

Yesterday, the Missouri House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 656 by a 112 to 37 vote.  Sponsored by state Senator Will Kraus (R-8) and handled in the House by state Representative Kevin Elmer (R-139), SB 656 includes many pro-gun reforms and addresses the following issues:

• Allows the open carrying of firearms in all localities with a permit.  Some localities currently have ordinances that ban open carrying of firearms, even by those with a valid carry permit.

• Allows a school district to designate a teacher or administrator to qualify as a school protection officer and carry a firearm on school property with the proper training.

• States that no law shall require health care professionals to inquire about a patient’s ownership or possession of firearms and prohibits the documentation of such information into a database.

• Reduces the age from 21 to 19 for those wishing to apply for a concealed carry permit.

• Allows someone to qualify for a concealed carry permit using a revolver or semi-automatic pistol, rather than having to qualify with each firearm.

• Requires one instructor for every forty people for the classroom portion of a firearms safety training course.  Current law allows only forty people per classroom regardless of the number of instructors present.

• Specifies that no public housing authority shall prohibit a lessee or a member of the lessee’s immediate household or guest from personally possessing firearms within an individual residence, common areas, or from carrying or transporting firearms to and from such residence in a manner allowed by law.

Senate Bill 656 has now been returned to the state Senate where it has been referred to a conference committee.  Please contact your state Senator and state Representative immediately and respectfully urge them to vote "YES" on the conference committee report for SB 656.  Contact information for your state Senator can be found here.  Contact information for your state Representative can be found here.

Additionally, the state House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 745 yesterday, as amended, by a 122 to 23 vote and was concurred on in the state Senate today.  Sponsored by state Senator Brian Munzlinger (R-18) and handled in the House by state Representative Jay Houghton (R-43), SB 745 includes improved right to carry language and technical corrections related to the 2013 transition of the concealed carry permit issuance process to the sheriffs.  As previously reported, several pro-gun amendments were adopted to SB 745.  These amendments include language that would modify the current concealed carry training requirement, which requires an individual to shoot both a revolver and a semi-automatic pistol, and would instead allow someone to shoot only one firearm rather than both firearms.  Other language states that there shall be no more than forty students per qualified firearms safety instructor during the classroom portion of a firearms safety training course.  Current Missouri law only allows forty students per classroom, regardless of whether or not there is more than one instructor present.  Senate Bill 745 now goes to Governor Jay Nixon for his signature.