Missouri House Votes to Scrap a Major ‘Gun-Free Zone’

Missouri is one step closer to repealing one of the state’s most dangerous “sensitive places” after the state House overwhelmingly approved HB 328 by a 106-45 vote on Thursday.

In addition to scrapping the prohibition on lawful carry on public transportation, the measure would also lower the age for a concealed carry license from 19 to 18. As  you can imagine, the anti-gun Democrats in the House aren’t too happy about the prospect of either provision becoming law.  

“It’s about time that we allow those people who use public transportation to exercise the same rights as everyone else in our state,” said bill sponsor Tim Taylor, R-Bunceton.

However, opponents say that the bill would only endanger passengers, not make them safer.

“More access to guns does nothing to improve public safety,” said Rep. Yolanda Young, D-Kansas City. “More access to guns doesn’t decrease gun deaths. It does the opposite.”

The bill would also lower the minimum age to acquire a concealed carry permit from 19 to 18. Currently, 18-year-olds can only get permits if they are members of the military.

“That means high school kids could legally carry concealed weapons,” said House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City. “What could go wrong with that?”

Right? I mean, if we lower the age to carry from 19 to 18 then the next thing you know 18-year-old high schoolers could be voting, getting married, joining the military, running for office, and signing contracts. 

Oh wait. 18-year-olds can already do that. If Aune wants to make 21 the defacto age of adulthood, then that’s what she should advocate for. But 18-year-olds are a part of the political community, which means they’re pretty clearly part of “the people” who possess the right to speak their mind, worship as they choose, petition the government for a redress of grievances, and be secure in their persons or property. Why then, shouldn’t they also be able to exercise their right to both keep and bear arms?  

As for Young’s complaint that allowing concealed carry on public transit would make trains and buses more dangerous, I can’t help but wonder if she’s aware that violent criminals are already bringing guns, knives, and other weapons onto buses and light rail systems in Kansas City and St. Louis. This incident, for example, happened less than a month ago. 

A man told police he was on a MetroBus when a stranger struck him several times with a sharp piece of metal Thursday, court records show. After the victim took the stranger’s weapon away, the suspect bit his ear.

Tevin Foster, 28, faces multiple criminal charges: first-degree assault causing serious injury, armed criminal charges and third-degree assault. 

According to the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, it happened in the 900 block of North Kingshighway, between St. Louis’ Fountain Park and Academy neighborhoods.

“(The victim) reported that the Defendant struck him in the head several times with a sharp piece of metal,” court documents said. “(The) victim reported he got the metal away from the Defendant, which led the Defendant to bite him in the ear.”

The victim had several cuts on his face that required him to go to the hospital, police said. The victim was bleeding from the ear.

What Young is essentially arguing is that’s it’s less dangerous to prevent people from defending themselves than it is to allow them to use lethal force to end an attack. And while I’m sure she doesn’t care that the current policy also prevents riders from protecting themselves before and after they use public transportation by preventing them from bringing their guns on board, the status quo effectively serves to block them from exercising their right to carry throughout their day; an untenable burden on the right to self-defense for those reliant on public transit to get around. 

While I’m thrilled to see both of these provisions pass the House, I’m a little concerned that including a lowered age to carry in the bill repealing the carry ban on public transportation will lead to more opposition in the upper chamber than a clean repeal bill might receive. Missouri gun owners need to be reaching out to their state senator now and urging them to support HB 328, or else this bill could get stuck in legislative limbo in the remaining weeks of this year’s session.