Great news for Missouri

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Red Tornado

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It seems our right to protect ourselves and our families are being represented more fairly. Also, getting rid of the sheriff's permission slip to buy a handgun is great.

Here's the link and the story.
RT

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/90360BE9CF7CA0D08625730E001002EB?OpenDocument

New Missouri law protects killing of intruders
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
07/04/2007

JEFFERSON CITY — Gov. Matt Blunt signed legislation on Tuesday allowing Missourians to fatally shoot intruders without fear of prosecution or lawsuits.

The measure spells out that people are not required to retreat from an intruder and can use deadly force once the person illegally enters their home, vehicle or other dwelling, including a tent. The bill provides an absolute defense against being charged or sued for using such force.

"It ensures law-abiding Missourians will not be punished when they use force to defend themselves and their family from attacks in their own home or vehicle," Blunt said in a written statement.

Under the old law, deadly force was justified only if people believed it necessary to protect themselves or others from death or serious injury.

The bill generally makes an intruder's presence justification to shoot, or use other force, knowing the intruder could be seriously injured or kill. It does not apply in some circumstances, such as when the intruder is a police officer or when the resident was committing certain felonies, including murder, robbery, kidnapping or sexual crimes.

The new law takes effect Aug. 28.

The bill includes a response to the Virginia Tech slayings. It allows court records ordering people to get mental health treatment, either outpatient or in a facility, to be sent to the national system gun dealers use to complete background checks before making a sale.

Previously, Missouri did not transmit mental health records to the database, adding only those with criminal convictions to the system.

The measure also gets rid of a state law requiring people to obtain permits from their local sheriffs before they can get a handgun.

Blunt signed the bill in Joplin and planned to promote the law in Cape Girardeau and Kirksville.

Later Tuesday, Blunt planned to visit Chesterfield and sign separate legislation intended to protect hunting on flood plains.

That bill creates "hunting heritage protection areas" on 100-year flood plains of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Under the new law, tax increment financing, a redevelopment tool that diverts tax collections to help pay for private projects, generally could not be used in those areas.

The measure still allows the tax tool to be used for flood control and renewable energy plants, such as ethanol and biodiesel. The flood-plain hunting areas also would not include urban areas, ports or land within half a mile of interstate highways.
 
I was at Blunt's signing ceremony in Joplin. Since he cared enough to come to Joplin to enact this important piece of MO legislation, then I needed to care enough to be there to support him :) He's also one heck of a nice guy and definitely "pro" gun rights.
 
Great news indeed! I am curious about how not needing a permit from the sherriff will effect how to buy a pistol at a gun auction.
 
yipeee!! i go to the court house soo much for those i might as well work there :D even the security/cops/whatever by the door let me by because they know what im there for
 
I'm thrilled that I can finally go pistol shopping in StL or Columbia. We don't have any dealers down here in deep bootheel, and it's ridiculous to get a permit is you don't know if you're going to be buying a pistol. Of course, it did keep the impulse purchases down. :rolleyes:
 
So does this mean I no longer have to pay the sheriff's office $10 to do the same back ground check that the FFL will do?

Yes. The redundant, antiquated, Jim Crow-era Permit-to-Acquire system will no longer exist. No need to go to the sheriff's office, pay $10, and wait up to 2 weeks (that 7 day limit is ignored by some sheriffs) in order to purchase a handgun. The NICS check and form 4473 will suffice, just like with long guns.

If you want a handgun, as of the 28th of August, just go to a dealer, pick it out, fill out the form, wait for the call-in, pay the money, and take it home right then.

I can't wait.
 
As of right now, in any practical terms going to the sheriff's office to get a permit is little more than an inconvenience. Nevertheless, it will be nice to have one less layer of POTENTIAL abuse to our second amendment rights.

I do not mean to sound all tin foil hatty, but I just see where it could be a problem someday in the future.
 
Technosavant,
Sounds like you get hassled more than we do down here. It only takes about 15 minutes to get the permit, but it's a hassle to drive 20 minutes to the county seat. Plus you have to know what you want and where it's coming from since you we have to put the kind of pistol on the form. :banghead: Oh well, it's soon to be done.
RT
 
RT, that "you need to know what you want" is the sort of BS that motivated folks to get it gone. In other jurisdictions, illegal questions are asked. In others, the wait time is far longer than allowed by law (I believe STL County has something like a 10 day wait). In St. Charles County, they make us wait the full 7 days and have a couple extra questions on the form. Not too repressive, but I'm still thrilled it's going away. I have a gun on layaway at a shop to be picked up in late Aug.- I'd sooner buy a large tube of sand and drop it off at the sheriff's office for him to pound as give another $10 for a "Mommy may I" form.

The only downside is that I'm likely to buy more handguns now, since it will be much more convenient.
 
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