Kansas City Star
July 4, 2003, Friday METROPOLITAN EDITION
SECTION: NATIONAL; Pg. A1
LENGTH: 1220 words
HEADLINE: Concealed weapons bill vetoed;
Holden cites 'will of the people'
BYLINE: KIT WAGAR; The Kansas City Star
BODY:
With the stroke of a pen, Gov. Bob Holden on Thursday blocked the
latest attempt to legalize concealed weapons in Missouri.
Holden vetoed the bill at a rally in St. Louis County, where
voters opposed legalizing concealed weapons by more than 2-1 when the
issue was put to a statewide vote in 1999.
Holden called the bill "a misguided legislative proposal that
would overthrow the will of the people and place the lives of
countless Missourians in jeopardy."
Gun-rights supporters were undeterred, saying they are gearing up
to try to override the veto when the General Assembly meets again in
September. With a Republican majority in favor of concealed weapons
and many rural Democrats likely to defect from Holden's side, the
bill's supporters say they already might have the votes.
Holden gave a litany of reasons for opposing the new legislation:
Required training is inadequate; guns would be more available to
children; permit holders from other states with no training could
carry guns in Missouri.
Holden also said people with a history of mental illness and
those convicted of domestic abuse could get permits to carry guns. He
said the legislation would increase accidental shootings and would
pose a risk to police officers.
"We have already had this debate on concealed weapons in
Missouri and Missourians spoke loud and clear with a resounding
'No!"' Holden said.
Gun-rights advocates said they were not surprised by the
governor's action.
Kevin Jamison, president of the Western Missouri Shooters
Alliance, said Holden's veto meant that Missouri residents continue
to be denied a right available to residents of nearly three dozen
other states. Kansas, however, does not allow concealed weapons.
"This just shows he thinks Missourians are less trustworthy,
less reliable, less sane and more violent than people in Arkansas,"
Jamison said. "Since he doesn't trust us, we don't trust him to be
governor. And we'll vote accordingly."
Rep. Larry Crawford, the Centertown Republican who sponsored the
legislation, said Holden's reasons for opposing the legislation were
not borne out by the experience of other states. Concealed carry laws
have not led to more accidental shootings, he said.
Experience shows that relatively few people who get permits
actually decide to carry weapons, Crawford said. But criminals are
less likely to attack because they don't know who might be armed.
People with guns can step into emergency situations when police are
not around, he said.
"Maybe it means more law-abiding people with guns are on the
street," Crawford said. "But that just helps reduce crime."
The Missouri bill, with its requirement for eight hours of
training and a live-fire test, has stiffer training requirements than
most other states, he said.
Crawford said the 1999 proposition to legalize concealed guns -
which lost by 44,000 votes - was not an accurate expression of
Missourians' attitudes because turnout was only about 30 percent. The
issue still prevailed in 104 of the state's 114 counties.
Opponents of concealed carry scoffed at such contentions. Todd
Elkins, chairman of Missouri Impact, an inter-faith group of
congregations, said Holden should be commended for standing up to the
gun lobby.
The 10 counties - including Jackson - and the city of St. Louis
that defeated the proposition are the large jurisdictions that
provide most of the taxes and the jobs that power the state's
economy, Elkins said. By trying to overturn a statewide vote, the
legislature undermines confidence in government, he said.
Republicans have been pushing gun rights as an emotional issue to
use against Democratic candidates. But concealed guns are bad public
policy, Elkins said.
"They are all about an individual saying his rights are elevated
above the common good," Elkins said. "It says, 'We don't trust the
police. We don't trust government. The only person I can trust is
me.' "
Elkins pointed to the shooting at a factory Tuesday night in
Jefferson City. A worker concealed a handgun to get it into a factory
and then opened fire, killing three people and wounding five others.
The man had no criminal record. He obtained the gun legally. And
the police followed procedures in approving his purchase of the gun.
"Everything was done correctly, yet an obviously disturbed
person got a high-quality gun and killed people," Elkins said.
But Crawford and Jamison said the Jefferson City shooting showed
the need for a concealed carry law. Police can't respond fast enough
in such a situation, but other workers could have stopped him if they
had been armed, Crawford said.
Jamison noted that the man was stopped after exchanging gunfire
with police officers.
"The first person with a gun who ran into him, stopped him,"
Jamison said. "If a civilian had had a gun, he would have been
stopped earlier."
Holden rejected that argument. He noted the adage "a little
knowledge is a dangerous thing." Police officers undergo hundreds of
hours of training and still have difficulty hitting their target
while under extreme stress.
"What we need to do is invest in law enforcement and community
policing," Holden said. "Most people won't have the training to
defend themselves ... I have two boys that I take to Little League
and soccer games. Do you want fans carrying guns to these games?
That's not the direction our state ought to be moving."
The concealed guns bill is HB349.
The bill
As passed by the General Assembly, the bill would have:
Required applicants for permits to be at least 23 years old.
Required permit renewal every three years.
Required applicants to take eight hours of training and hit a
target at a distance of 21 feet with at least 15 of 20 shots.
Denied a permit to anyone with a felony or a misdemeanor
conviction involving a gun or a bomb.
Denied an application if, within the previous five years, the
applicant had a misdemeanor conviction for a crime of violence or
more than one conviction for drunken driving or drug possession.
Denied permits to anyone found mentally incompetent or who was
committed to a mental institution within the previous five years.
Allowed people who have concealed-carry permits issued by other
states to carry the weapons in Missouri.
Allowed public challenge of any permit holder who did not meet
all the requirements. However, all records pertaining to the permits
would be closed to the public.
Prohibited concealed guns in police stations, jails, bars,
hospitals, day-care centers, schools, casinos, airports or sports
arenas seating more than 5,000 people. Private property owners could
prohibit concealed weapons on their premises by posting signs.
What's Next
In September, when the General Assembly convenes, backers of the
concealed- carry bill will attempt to override the veto.
Each chamber passed the bill by veto-proof majorities in the
spring.
Some Democratic legislators who voted in favor might switch their
votes, some observers say, in support of their party's governor.
Its not even about trust either, its a simple case of response time. Gun on the hip is 'instant', cop on the phone (if you can use one) is much longer.