On Monday, the Missouri House of Representatives passed a “Constitutional Carry” bill 112 to 37, and the bill is now headed to the Senate for a vote.
The legislation would allow those with a clean background to carry concealed weapons without a permit, KSPR reports.
The bill was sponsored by State Representative Eric Burlison, who says the bill simply protects law-abiding citizens and their right to self-defense. He explained,
What we are changing is if you are a law abiding citizen, we’re not going to make it a felony charge to put that firearm in your pocket. The naive perception is that if we pass a law that says a felon can’t carry a firearm that they won’t. But the truth is they do. So what we really want to make sure is that we’re not trying to make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and defend themselves.
Burlison contends that by forcing gun owners to undergo a background check through their local sheriff’s office and submit to gun training before carrying a concealed weapon creates an arbitrary burden on those interested in utilizing their Second Amendment-protected right to keep and bear arms.
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“Right now we’re basically having people get a background check and training in order to put a piece of clothing over something,” Burlison told the Missouri Times. “Right now you can buy a gun and carry it, but you cannot conceal and carry it. The permit allows you to put clothing over a gun that you already have a constitutional right to carry.”
Burlison also notes that the current law places a financial burden on gun owners that would be remedied by his bill.
“This will end the unfair tax on our right to bear arms by doing away with the concealed carry permit fee, and give Missourians the protection they deserve to exercise their Second Amendment rights,” he said.
If the Missouri Senate approves the legislation, it will head to Governor Jay Nixon’s desk for signature. Nixon has not yet commented on whether he would sign “Constitutional Carry” into law, asserting he would not comment on any bill until it arrives at his desk.
Constitutional, or permitless, carry has been making its way through the country in recent years, with the trend accelerating quickly since 2003, when Vermont was the only state to allow constitutional carry. Earlier this month, Mississippi became the 10th state to adopt permitless carry. Other states that recognize permitless carry include Alaska, Arkansas, Arizona, Maine, Vermont, West Virginia, Wyoming, Kansas, and Idaho.
