Senate debate expands into broad gun-policy package; sponsor lays bill over after amendments introduced

Senate consideration of Senate Bill 77 on March 11 opened a prolonged debate that broadened into a multi-part gun-policy package and concluded with the sponsor asking that the bill be placed on the informal calendar.

The underlying substitute described on the floor would allow people with valid concealed-carry permits to carry on public transportation and would lower the minimum age for a CCW endorsement from 19 to 18. The sponsor framed the change as restoring carry rights on buses and trains for law-abiding permit holders: "This legislation would allow those who've undergone CCW training to carry, while they have a valid CCW, to to carry aboard public transportation," the Senate sponsor said.

Floor debate quickly expanded. Senator from Stone offered an amendment (based on his Senate Bill 74) to add private-rights enforcement to Missouri’s firearm preemption law — allowing individuals to sue a city or county that enacts gun-control restrictions stricter than state law and preempting local open-carry restrictions. "What this amendment here is is my senate bill, 74. It would add teeth to Missouri's firearms preemption law," Senator from Stone said. He described the change as creating a cause of action against political subdivisions that violate state preemption.

Senator from Cass then…