Missouri State Capitol, aerial view.
Gun rights activists in the Show Me State won a major victory when state lawmakers overrode a veto by Democrat Gov. Jay Nixon that had allowed local governments to prohibit the open carry of firearms.
The Missouri House easily overrode the veto on a 117-39 vote, according to St. Louis public radio, and the measure also passed with a lopsided 23-8 vote in the Senate, though the number of votes to override was the minimum number, the report stated.
But there’s a curious twist, according to the report. Missouri residents who carry openly must have a concealed carry permit.
In addition to the open carry provision, the bill also lowers the minimum age for obtaining a concealed carry permit to 19, and it also allows local school districts to approve armed teachers on campus, after public hearings have been held. Those teachers, or school protection officers, would be required to undergo training. Another tenet prohibits police from disarming citizens unless they have been arrested.
Opponents were concerned that the bill will allow 19-year-olds to carry guns on college campuses.
