Override of Missouri Gun Reform, Constitutional Carry, Seems Likely - The Truth About Guns

In May the Missouri legislature passed an omnibus gun legislation reform bill, SB 656, on the last day of the session. While widely heralded as a permitless or “constitutional carry” bill, there were several other notable features. From the NRA-ILA, if signed into law, the bill would:

Recognize Missourians right to Constitutional/Permitless Carry where open carry is not prohibited
Expand Missouri’s current Stand your Ground laws
Expand Castle Doctrine protections for anyone legally allowed into your home, vehicle, business and property
Specify that except for credit card fees incurred, no additional fee beyond $100 may be charged to process concealed carry permits and allows military members extra time to renew their permits
Implement 10, 20 and 50 year options for non-reciprocity issued permits
Allow components of firearm training for RTC permits to be online

Governor Nixon vetoed SB 656 on June 27, on the last day that it was expected for him to do so. The chances for a veto override, however, are very good. Two years ago, another omnibus firearms law reform bill was also vetoed. It was numbered SB 656. The legislature overrode that veto on September 11th 2014.

The likely Democrat nominee for the governor, Attorney General Chris Koster, has recognized that reality. He says that he would have signed SB 656, and that it’s a good reform bill.

From kansascity.com:

Missouri Democrats face an uphill fight to sustain Gov. Jay Nixon’s veto of a bill eliminating training requirements to carry a concealed firearm.

Same goes for another bill Nixon vetoed that would require voters to provide a government-issued photo ID before being allowed to cast a ballot.

Complicating their efforts is the fact that their all-but-certain nominee for governor supports both bills.

Attorney General Chris Koster, who faces only token opposition in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary to replace term-limited Nixon, said he saw no reason to veto the wide-ranging gun bill.

Koster, running as a pro-Second Amendment, pro-union, centrist Democrat in an increasingly red state, is probably a good strategy, especially in this “outsider” election year.

I have said that if the Democrats would truly embrace the Second Amendment, they would win far more elections. People who are passionate about protecting the rights of an armed population outnumber those who wish the population disarmed many times over. Fifty years ago, serious support for the Second Amendment was a popular Democrat position. If the they lose this November, it may become popular with them again.

Idaho, Mississippi and West Virginia that have passed similar legislation in 2016. The other constitutional carry states are Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Kansas, Maine, Vermont, and Wyoming.