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Concealed weapons law
No rush to apply
(07/20/06)Since Missourians were given the right to carry concealed firearms in 2004, more than 900 permits have been issued in Cape Girardeau, Scott, Perry and Bollinger counties. To some officials and permit advocates, that number is lower than expected. "We were concerned when it started there'd be a big rush," Perry County Sheriff Gary Schaaf said. So far, Perry County has had 61 applications for concealed gun permits; 58 have been granted and three are pending...
So far, concealed gun law has had little impact
(02/20/06) ST. LOUIS -- Nearly two years after Missourians were given the right to carry concealed firearms, the law appears to have had little impact, advocates on both sides of the issue say. Crime has not dropped since residents were allowed to carry guns, but neither has the number of unjustified or accidental shootings risen, police said...
Blunt signs conceal-carry fix, correcting 2003 error
(07/13/05) Sheriffs can use the application fee to cover expenses of processing conceal and carry permits. JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Matt Blunt on Tuesday signed a bill that fixes a constitutional flaw in Missouri's two-year old law allowing qualified residents to carry concealed weapons...
Court- Conceal-carry applicants must provide info
(05/11/05) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Constitution doesn't shield applicants for concealed-weapons permits from having to provide information that may disqualify them from receiving such permits, a state appeals court ruled on Tuesday. Paul Heidbrink had argued that because the state constitution says a citizen's right to keep and bear arms "shall not be questioned," he could not be compelled to provide authorities with information necessary to determine his eligibility for a permit. ...
Weapons bill fix goes to governor
(05/04/05) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Senate on Tuesday sent legislation to the governor that would fix a constitutional flaw in Missouri's concealed weapons law. The bill would specify that local sheriffs can use the $100 fee they may charge applicants for conceal-carry permits to cover their expenses for processing the permits. As currently written, the 2-year-old statute earmarks the fee proceeds for equipment and training...
Cape sheriff testifies on conceal-carry fix
(02/02/05) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan on Tuesday endorsed a bill that aims to fix a constitutional problem with the state law that allows qualified Missourians to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. ...
Jackson County taking applications for concealed weapon permits
(01/21/05) KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Jackson County will begin accepting applications next month for permits to carry concealed guns, leaving just St. Louis County and city as the only places in the state where they are unavailable. The Missouri Supreme Court ruled in February that the county -- home to a large part of Kansas City -- did not have to issue the permits because the $100 fee did not directly cover the cost of processing the applications. ...
Crowell pursuing financial fix for law on guns
(01/21/05) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although concerns about a flood of litigation over Missouri's concealed-weapons law haven't come to pass, state Sen. Jason Crowell is renewing attempts to fix a flaw in the statute identified a year ago by the state Supreme Court...
Interest in conceal permits below expectations
(12/07/04) From staff and wire reports Concealed-carry permits aren't the hot ticket some Missouri officials had predicted, with applications in the nine months since the law took effect running far below expectations. Based on response to similar laws in Texas, Oklahoma and other states, the Missouri State Highway Patrol estimated the first year would produce 60,000 applications for permits to carry a concealed weapon...
Judge rules for St. Louis County in concealed gun case
(10/13/04) The Associated Press JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- St. Louis County does not have to issue concealed gun permits to its residents, because a judge has ruled that doing so would impose an unconstitutional cost on local government. St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, who went to court to avoid implementing the state's new concealed guns law, called the court ruling a significant victory. It upholds the county's current practice of refusing to issue permits...
Concealed guns OK statewide, almost
(10/01/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Effective today, Missouri's piecemeal approach to concealed guns becomes a little easier to understand: If you live in most of the St. Louis area or Jackson County, you can't have them. If you live anywhere else, you can. Rural Osage County, just east and south of Missouri's capital, has been the only place outside the state's largest cities not to accept applications for concealed weapons permits...
Missouri guns miss legal mark in Texas
(07/30/04) ST. LOUIS -- Missouri's concealed gun permits will not be honored in Texas because of concerns that Missouri permits can be issued before a federal fingerprint criminal background check is complete. Texas officials notified Missouri Gov. Bob Holden of the policy on Wednesday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported in its Thursday editions...
Conceal-carry permits mirror vote in 1999
(06/01/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- This isn't the way most people figured it would occur. But finally, it appears, the will of the people is being carried out when it comes to concealed guns. The reality that has surfaced following a confusing Missouri Supreme Court ruling is that residents in most rural areas now can get concealed gun permits, and residents in Missouri's biggest urban areas cannot...
Veto threat undermines concealed weapons law fix
(05/20/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- When Gov. Bob Holden unholstered a veto threat and aimed it at legislation intended to fix a constitutional flaw in Missouri's new concealed weapons law, he dissuaded lawmakers from giving the matter serious consideration this year, supporters of the bill say...
New driver's licenses readied for concealed gun permit holders
(05/18/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Driver's licenses are no longer just for height, weight, hair color, eye color and birthday. Under the state's new law legalizing concealed guns, Missourians licensed to conceal and carry must get a new driver's license that will announce a person's concealed-gun permit in bright red type, the Department of Revenue said Monday...
New Madrid County takes concealed gun applications
(05/06/04) Standard Democrat NEW MADRID, Mo. -- Residents of New Madrid County wanting to carry concealed weapons can begin making applications. New Madrid County Sheriff Terry Stevens announced Tuesday his department will accept applications for concealed firearms permits. Individuals wishing to apply for a concealed gun permit must have a copy of a certificate of completion of firearm safety course and show proof of residency in New Madrid County...
First concealed weapons permits issued in county
(04/28/04) Southeast Missourian The first 17 applicants for a concealed weapon have been notified that they can come to the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff's Department Thursday to pick up their permit. Sheriff John Jordan announced that the first completed background checks have been returned from the Missouri State Highway Patrol. The sheriff's office has accepted over 125 applications since March 17...
Lawmakers urge action on fix for concealed weapons law
(04/14/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although the governor's pre-emptive veto threat has hampered the chances for passage of a bill that would correct a constitutional flaw in Missouri's conceal and carry law, the measure's sponsor on Tuesday urged his colleagues to attempt to address the issue...
Saline County accepting permits under gun law
(04/14/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With legislation that attempts to fix the problem with the state's concealed-gun law still on hold, another county, one in central Missouri, is preparing to accept permit applications. Saline County Sheriff Wally George planned to begin taking concealed-carry permit applications today. George said he had held off on accepting permit applications in hopes questions about the law would be resolved...
Holden plans to veto any fix for gun law
(04/12/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gov. Bob Holden vowed to veto any legislation sent to his desk that attempts to fix a constitutional flaw in the funding mechanism of Missouri's new concealed weapons law. "The legislature can do two things: They can either repeal it or send it to a vote of the people," Holden said Friday...
Change in concealed guns law gets moving in state legislature
(04/02/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A Senate committee endorsed a bill Thursday attempting to fix a funding flaw identified by the state Supreme Court in Missouri's new concealed guns law. While upholding the general legality of concealed guns, the Supreme Court recently ruled the funding mechanism in the law could impose an illegal, unfunded mandate on county sheriffs responsible for administering it...
'Patchwork' effort spreads hidden guns
(03/28/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Roughly one-fourth of Missouri counties are accepting applications for concealed-gun permits, one month after a complex state Supreme Court ruling gave local sheriffs grounds both for implementing or ignoring the contentious new law...
Conceal-carry permit process starts in area counties
(03/25/04) The sheriff's departments in Bollinger and Perry counties have joined Cape Girardeau County in processing applications for permits to carry a concealed weapon. Scott County plans to start in April. Bollinger County began issuing permits Tuesday, chief deputy Shawn Davis said. The sheriff's department in Marble Hill, Mo., processed 10 applications the first day and a couple on Wednesday...
State legislature moving slow on gun law remedy
(03/23/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Nearly one month after the Missouri Supreme Court identified a flaw in the state's new concealed weapons law, legislation to fix the problem has made scant progress in the Missouri Legislature. Despite concerns that a flood of lawsuits could result as county sheriffs begin issuing permits to carry concealed weapons to qualified Missourians, Senate President Pro Tem Peter Kinder, R-Cape Girardeau, said there is no urgent need for lawmakers to address the issue this year. ...
Stray bullet sparks conceal-carry dialogue
(03/22/04) ST. LOUIS -- When a man fired a weapon at armed robbers from his truck in suburban St. Louis earlier this month, authorities said it likely was the first instance of self-defense under Missouri's new concealed-weapons law. One of the man's bullets pierced a window screen and frame, an aluminum blind, and lodged in the comforter on the bed of his girlfriend's 79-year-old neighbor, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Sunday. The neighbor was not home at the time...
Conceal-carry law has officials scrambling to keep up
(03/19/04) Implementing Missouri's new conceal-carry law has caused some participating agencies to stumble across a few glitches they're only now discovering. Cape Girardeau County Sheriff John Jordan said he wasn't anticipating the questions about where the crime reduction fund money came from that will pay for incidental costs involved in processing the applications for the permits. ...
Sheriff issues first permits for conceal-carry
(03/18/04) Cape Girardeau County Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones was the first person in the county to apply for a permit to carry a concealed weapon under the county's newly approved conceal-carry law. Jones was one of four who went through the process Wednesday...
Commission OKs conceal-carry
(03/16/04) Despite the looming possibility of lawsuits, the Cape Girardeau County Commission passed a resolution Monday that allows residents to obtain concealed weapons permits. Sheriff John Jordan will begin processing applications Wednesday. The commission met with Jordan and Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle to discuss the issue Monday morning before giving its approval...
Officials struggle to navigate concealed guns legislation
(03/15/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- There is a game that jokesters sometimes like to play called Open or Closed. You take two objects, perhaps carefully selecting two cards from a deck, then arrange them in various positions, each time asking the players: "Open or closed?"...
New lawsuit rehashes gun funding question
(03/13/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's legal boxing bout over a new concealed guns law entered round two Friday as opponents filed a lawsuit claiming the law imposes an unfunded mandate on local governments and again asking a judge to strike it down statewide...
Senate votes against making concealed gun permits public
(03/10/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- State senators rejected an attempt Tuesday to make public the names of Missourians who receive concealed gun permits, while endorsing a bill that could make it cheaper to obtain other government records. Missouri's concealed guns law -- just beginning to be implemented by some sheriffs -- keeps secret the names of people approved for permits...
Officers wary following concealed weapons law change
(03/03/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Because it is now legal for most adults to stow a concealed weapon in a vehicle, Missouri law enforcement officials say there will be a heightened sense of awareness among officers when conducting traffic stops. Although officer safety is an increased concern, law enforcement agencies generally aren't planning drastic changes in procedures...
Sheriffs hold off on concealed weapons permits
(03/02/04) Sheriffs in the region are heeding guidance from the Missouri Sheriff's Association suggesting they prepare to issue permits but refrain from actually doing so. Both the association and Missouri Attorney General Jay Nixon have asked sheriffs to wait until after a statutory fix clears the legislature before issuing permits to avoid lawsuits on the Hancock Amendment question. ...
Police worry about law that allows guns in cars
(03/01/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Missouri's new concealed weapons law allows everyone 21 and older to hide a loaded firearm in the passenger compartment of a vehicle, but some law enforcement officials don't know whether it can be enforced. The state Supreme Court last week upheld the law, which allows Missourians 23 and older to carry a concealed weapon after they pass a firearm safety course as well as state and federal background checks. ...
Concealed guns at a glance
(02/28/04) Q: How soon may I apply for a permit to carry a concealed gun? A: That depends upon the sheriff. After Thursday's ruling from the Missouri Supreme Court, which effectively upheld the legislature's power to pass last year's law allowing concealed guns, many sheriffs said they were waiting for more information from lawyers. ...
Sign-ups start for concealed gun permits
(02/28/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Confusion reigned Friday as sheriffs across Missouri struggled with when, whether and how to begin taking concealed gun applications from residents following a complex ruling by the state's highest court. Several rural sheriffs began signing people up for conceal-carry permits Friday, just one day after the Missouri Supreme Court upheld the legislature's right to legalize concealed guns...
Court OKs concealed gun law
(02/27/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although the Missouri Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the constitutionality of a state law allowing concealed weapons, the state was prohibited from enforcing the act in four counties, including Cape Girardeau. Residents of those counties at least temporarily won't be eligible for permits to carry hidden guns...
Concealed gun ruling brings joy -- and jitters
(02/27/04) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court's decision clearing the way for carrying concealed guns brought joy and jitters on Thursday -- and a hodgepodge of reaction from sheriffs grappling to understand how the ruling affects them. Joy in suburban St. ...
Gun advocates urged to be patient on concealed weapons case
(02/26/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Gun rights advocates, anxious for the Missouri Supreme Court to rule on a challenge to the state's new concealed weapons law, were urged Wednesday to be patient. "The court's decision cannot be rushed," Rep. Larry Crawford, who sponsored the concealed firearms legislation, told dozens of gun rights supporters at a rally in the Capitol...
Hancock - Amendment could 'undo' guns law
(01/27/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Former U.S. Rep. Mel Hancock believes Missourians should have the right to carry concealed guns, but also thinks the state amendment bearing his name that forbids unfunded mandates "very well could undo" the law. Enacted when legislators overrode Democratic Gov. ...
Trash dispute has connection to concealed weapons case
(01/26/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Perhaps it's fitting: After years of political trash-talking about whether Missourians should be allowed to carry concealed guns, the final decision may indeed emanate from trash. The members of the Missouri Supreme Court -- although using sanitized court lingo -- posed quite a few questions relating to trash while hearing arguments Thursday from attorneys in the concealed guns case...
Missouri's Supreme Court hears concealed guns arguments
(01/23/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The intense battle over whether Missourians should have the right to carry concealed weapons reached a pinnacle Thursday, as state Supreme Court judges questioned whether a new law allowing hidden guns violates an old constitutional provision...
Nixon voices concerns over gun law
(01/20/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Although he is defending Missouri's new concealed weapons law in court, Attorney General Jay Nixon has some personal concerns about the implications should his legal team win. In arguments Thursday before the state Supreme Court, Nixon's staff plans to defend the constitutionality of the law allowing most adults to carry concealed guns in their coats, purses, cars and other secret places...
Concealed weapons case ready for Supreme Court
(01/18/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Supreme Court will hear arguments Thursday in a case that could finally end the state's long-running debate over concealed weapons. The issue has its origins in the 1870s, when Reconstruction-era violence and the lawlessness of the now legendary James Gang prompted state leaders to take action against concealed guns...
New Mexico ruling could sway Missouri concealed guns case
(01/13/04) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A recent decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court could boost the cause for concealed guns in Missouri. The Missouri Supreme Court is to hear arguments next week on whether a state law allowing most adults to carry hidden guns violates the state constitution. In a similar challenge to a similar law, New Mexico's highest court decided last week that the law did not violate that state's constitution...
Hearing on concealed weapons law scheduled
(12/18/03) ST. LOUIS - A little more than a month before the Missouri Supreme Court takes up the concealed weapons law, the St. Louis judge who ruled the measure violates the state constitution will reconsider whether it violates a provision barring unfunded mandates. Both sides of the issue learned Monday that Ohmer will re-hear the matter in a hearing at 9:30 a.m. today...
High court sets Jan. 22 for concealed guns hearing
(11/20/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A judge's decision striking down Missouri's new concealed guns will go before the Missouri Supreme Court on Jan. 22 in an appeal sought by the state's attorney general. The law, which would enable most adults to carry concealed guns, was scheduled to take effect Oct. 11. But St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer issued an injunction on grounds it violates a section of the Missouri Constitution dating to 1875...
Backers, opponents of gun law delay reaction plans
(11/19/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With the fate of the state's new concealed weapons law in the hands of the Missouri Supreme Court, those on both sides of the issue say it is premature to discuss what action they might take in the event of a ruling adverse to their respective positions...
Concealed gun case may hit high court in February
(11/14/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Attorneys who successfully challenged Missouri's new concealed guns law have asked the state Supreme Court to hear appeal arguments no sooner than Feb. 9 -- at least two months later than the expedited schedule sought by the state attorney general...
Judge blocks concealed guns measure
(11/08/03) ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge on Friday permanently barred Missouri's concealed guns law, saying it violates the state constitution. Attorney General Jay Nixon immediately appealed the ruling to the Missouri Supreme Court. The ruling by Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer made permanent his October temporary injunction against the law, narrowly adopted by the Missouri Legislature in a September override of a veto by Gov. Bob Holden...
Judge will file written decision on Missouri's new gun law
(10/24/03) ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge declined to rule on the future of Missouri's new concealed guns law until he could review arguments made for and against it in a hearing Thursday. Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer said he would issue a written decision as soon as he could but did not set a specific timeline for the ruling...
Court denies appeal of order blocking concealed guns law
(10/14/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The state Supreme Court refused Monday to lift a preliminary injunction against Missouri's new concealed guns law, meaning the law will remain on hold for at least a little while longer. A St. Louis Circuit Court judge on Friday blocked the law from taking effect Saturday, saying there were constitutional concerns that needed to be resolved...
Limitations numerous in gun law
(10/12/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- It took years of effort and acrimonious political debate for Missouri to join the majority of states that allow residents to obtain permits to carry concealed weapons. Assuming the new law survives a court challenge, however, permit holders could encounter strict limits on where they can legally possess a hidden firearm...
St. Louis judge delays Missouri's concealed weapons law
(10/10/03) ST. LOUIS (AP) -- St. Louis Circuit Judge Steven Ohmer issued a temporary restraining order Friday delaying Missouri's new concealed weapons law from taking effect until the state's Supreme Court can determine if the measure is constitutional. The...
Judge hopes to issue a decision today in concealed weapons case
(10/10/03) ST. LOUIS -- A St. Louis judge hoped to decide today whether to issue a temporary restraining order delaying Missouri's new concealed weapons law from taking effect until the state's Supreme Court can determine if the measure is constitutional. St. ...
Judge hearing arguments today on concealed guns law
(10/09/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- A St. Louis judge could decide whether Missouri's new concealed guns law violates the state constitution. But he first must decide whether he -- or a judge in the state's capital city -- has the proper authority to hear the case...
Lessons with lethal weapons
(10/08/03) Some area residents learn concealed weapons training emphasizes safety, survival By Mike Wells ~ Southeast Missourian A former Scott County chief deputy looked stone-faced at the 12 of us, sipping our morning beverages and sitting at four round tables in his small classroom...
Opponents to file lawsuit against concealed-guns law
(10/08/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Opponents of Missouri's new concealed-gun law are attempting to shoot it down before it takes effect. They plan to file a lawsuit Wednesday claiming it violates various parts of the Missouri Constitution. The lawsuit, a copy of which was obtained by The Associated Press, seeks both an injunction blocking the law from taking effect Saturday and a permanent declaration striking it down. ...
Council in Cape to vote on ban for guns
(10/06/03) Those packing concealed weapons won't be able to do so legally in Cape Girardeau's city hall or any other city-owned or operated buildings under a proposal that the council will vote on tonight. The city council is scheduled to vote Monday night on the first reading of an ordinance that would place city buildings off limits to those carrying concealed weapons. The meeting starts at 7 p.m. at city hall...
Gun law also will conceal licensees
(10/05/03) COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Something will be concealed besides pistols when Missouri sheriffs begin issuing permits this month to pack hidden handguns: the names of a projected 60,000 gun licensees. Missouri's new law, enacted when the Legislature overrode Gov. Bob Holden's veto last month, bars identification of concealed weapons permit holders -- even though separate applications to sheriffs to purchase guns have been open records for years, and remain so...
Concealed gun permits ready
(10/03/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- About 120,000 application forms for concealed gun permits have been printed and are being mailed this week to county sheriffs, meaning all the paperwork should be in place when Missouri's concealed gun law takes effect Oct. 11...
Joplin college holds first training on concealed weapons
(09/29/03) JOPLIN, Mo. -- A full class of 40 people showed up for one of the first training sessions since Missouri approved a law allowing people to carry concealed weapons. The concealed-weapons safety class was held at Missouri Southern State University. The university's Criminal Justice Department created the eight-hour class to meet the firearms safety training requirement in the law that was passed by Missouri legislators two weeks ago...
Wording of bill confusing to school officials
(09/24/03) Callie Clark Southeast Missourian Confusion over Missouri's new concealed weapons law has officials in local school districts concerned about guns showing up on school property. "Most people know you don't take a gun near a school. I hope that...
A dangerous mix- alcohol and guns
(09/24/03) Mike Wells Southeast Missourian Missouri's new concealed weapons law doesn't take effect until Oct. 11, but Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle is already telling residents "guns and drunks don't mix -- safely or well." A portion...
Gun foes may seek concealed weapons repeal
(09/24/03) Marc Powers Southeast Missourian JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Opponents of Missouri's new concealed weapons law say there could be an effort to put a repeal measure on the statewide ballot next year. The Missouri Legislature enacted the law over Gov. Bob...
New right to carry weapons stops at some state lines
(09/21/03) Dana Fields~ The Associated Press KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Citizens who plan to exercise their new concealed-gun rights under Missouri law might want to study the gun laws of neighboring states as well, especially if they routinely cross those borders....
Protest held over state senator's concealed guns vote
(09/19/03) The Associated Press KIRKWOOD, Mo. -- Protesters on opposite corners of an intersection yelled either "Recall Gibbons" or "Thank you, Gibbons" Thursday evening, depending on how they felt about state Sen. Michael Gibbons' vote overriding Gov. Bob Holden's ...
Cities, county ponder new gun law
(09/17/03) State legislators have left it up to local government officials to decide whether to allow concealed weapons to be carried into certain public buildings. Already, with a veto override, state representatives have declared guns off limits in certain buildings. And the concealed-weapons bill makes it illegal for the public to carry a weapon into a government meeting...
Override putting pressure on gun teachers, sheriffs
(09/16/03) More than 60,000 Missourians are expected to apply for permits for concealed guns beginning Oct. 11. And because training is a prerequisite, the expected rush for the right to bear hidden firearms could put tremendous pressure on Missouri's firearms instructors...
Abortion, gun bills go around governor
(09/12/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With Senate action on vetoed abortion and concealed weapons bills Thursday, Democratic Gov. Bob Holden became the first Missouri chief executive in history to be overruled by the legislature on more than one issue during the course of his administration...
State senator leaves Cuba to cast critical vote on guns
(09/12/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republican Sen. Jon Dolan was granted a last-minute request for military leave from Cuba, then cast the deciding vote Thursday in favor of overriding a veto of concealed weapons legislation. Dolan, a public affairs officer with the Army National Guard, was granted leave from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, late Wednesday and returned to Missouri in time to vote against Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's veto...
Lawmakers vote to overrule Holden on abortion, guns
(09/11/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- It took the House of Representatives just over 70 minutes Wednesday to vote to override the governor's veto of controversial bills on abortion and concealed weapons. Whether those measures become law over Democratic Gov. Bob Holden's objections is now up to the Senate, which plans to consider the issues today...
Groups make stands at veto session
(09/11/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- They came by the hundreds from all across Missouri to make their voices heard on the first day of the annual legislative veto session. People representing both sides of the abortion debate gathered because of a bill that would require a woman to wait 24-hours before having an abortion. Supporters of legislation that would allow some Missourians to carry concealed guns also pleaded their case to lawmakers...
Area lawmakers hoping to override Holden's veto
(09/09/03) Missouri's Republican-dominated legislature has a good chance to override Gov. Bob Holden's veto of a right-to-carry concealed weapons bill, two local lawmakers said Monday. "This is not the same bill that was narrowly defeated by the voters in 1999," said Rod Jetton, the House speaker pro tem...
Abortion, guns top issues of veto session
(09/08/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri Legislature's annual fall veto session to reconsider bills rejected by the governor is typically a brief, uneventful affair. But since Democratic Gov. Bob Holden spiked a near-record 30 bills passed last spring, including high-profile measures on abortion and concealed weapons, majority Republicans are planning to attempt several overrides...
Republicans lose vote in veto session with senator's call-up
(07/17/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Republicans in Missouri's Senate could find it more difficult to override the governor's vetoes this September because a GOP lawmaker will be serving in the Army. Sen. Jon Dolan, R-Lake St. Louis, said he is being called to active duty with the 70th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment and will travel to Cuba, leaving him absent from the Legislature's veto session in September...
Holden prolific with veto power
(07/14/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- He didn't quite break the single-season gubernatorial veto record this year, but Gov. Bob Holden came within striking distance. Missouri governors on average reject only about a dozen bills approved by the legislature each year, mostly on technical grounds or due to drafting errors that could have created unintended consequences. Vetoes because of policy differences are few...
Decision time for Holden on 99 bills
(07/09/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- With a constitutional deadline just five days away, Gov. Bob Holden and his staff face the daunting task of deciding the final fate of 99 pieces of legislation lawmakers passed this year. The Republican-controlled legislature passed 254 bills during the regular legislative session that ended in May. So far, Holden, a Democrat, has signed 148 bills into law and vetoed seven...
Holden vetoes House concealed gun measure
(07/03/03) Associated Press WriterWEBSTER GROVES, Mo. (AP) -- Gov. Bob Holden vetoed a concealed weapons bill Thursday, but the sponsor of the legislation remained confident it will become law. Holden signed the veto in suburban St. Louis -- an area of the state that played a big role in defeating 1999's Proposition B, a ballot measure that would have allowed Missourians to carry concealed guns. Seventy-eight percent of the voters in this community voted against it...
Concealed weapons bill renews gun debates
(06/15/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Ever since the Missouri Legislature approved a bill last month that would give state residents the right to carry concealed firearms, Vince Bowman has noticed excitement about the prospect among patrons at Shooters Gun Shop in Cape Girardeau...
Gun lawsuit ban clears legislature
(05/15/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The House of Representatives took final legislative action aimed at stopping St. Louis city's lawsuit against the firearms industry over the social costs of gun violence. The House sent the bill to Gov. Bob Holden on a 113-37 vote. The Senate approved the measure 24-9 in February...
Abortion, gun issues familiar problems for Holden, lawmakers
(05/12/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Abortion and concealed guns. The two topics, laden with emotion and controversy, have significantly affected governors and the legislature over the years. Points of view on the two issues cross party lines, and this year has been no different...
Legislature gives final OK to concealed guns
(05/06/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Four years after voters narrowly rejected the idea, the legislature gave final approval Monday to a bill letting qualified Missourians carry concealed guns -- without putting the issue on a statewide ballot. The legislature's action, however, may not be the end of the matter...
Senate passes concealed-guns bill
(05/03/03) JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Supporters of a bill that would allow Missourians to carry concealed guns forced the measure to Senate passage Friday by employing a rarely used procedure. After more than 11 hours of debate over two days, proponents voted to abruptly end debate, then passed the bill over objections from those who had been trying to block it...
House advances concealed-guns bill
(03/05/03)
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- Four years after voters narrowly rejected the idea, the Missouri House gave initial approval Tuesday to a bill that would allow people to seek permits to carry concealed guns. The latest proposal would not go to a statewide vote but would require the signature of Democratic Gov. Bob Holden, who in the past has threatened to veto legislation similar to the 1999 ballot measure... |