Nixon said he vetoed the bill because it would have eliminated required training, education, and background checks in order to carry a concealed gun. The sweeping rewrite of firearms laws is expected to be high on the agenda.
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The mid-September date is the lone day set aside by lawmakers to override vetoes by the Democratic chief executive.
The bill passed both chambers of the legislature with veto-proof majorities, meaning that Republican leaders will nearly certainly attempt an override. “I think the chances of overriding are pretty good”.
“I can not support the extreme step of throwing out that process entirely, eliminating sensible protections like background checks and training requirements and taking away the ability of sheriffs to protect their communities”, Nixon said. Moms worked with gun violence survivors, mayors and other community leaders this session to make phone calls, write editorials, host events and testify at the statehouse to ensure Missouri did not become a state that lets risky people carry hidden, loaded handguns in public or turns everyday conflicts into deadly encounters by emboldening people to shoot rather than resolving disagreements in other ways.
Nixon’s planned veto doesn’t necessarily mean the bill is dead.
Springfield Rep. Eric Burlison pushed the measure through the House. Homeowners would not have to try to retreat to safety before shooting intruders and the bill would have created a lifetime conceal-carry permit, dubbed “stand your ground”.
“Here in Missouri, responsible gun ownership and support for the Second Amendment are strongly held values”.
The Governor’s concerns echo those voiced by law enforcement agencies, including the Missouri Police Chiefs Association (MPCA), representing 600 members statewide, and the Missouri Fraternal Order of Police, which represents 6,400 law enforcement officers across the state.
Also, the bill would undermine the authority of local sheriffs, who are tasked with performing background checks for the permits, to deny a possibly risky individual from legally concealing a firearm, he said.
The measure also quickly became fodder for the campaign trail, heading toward the August 2 primary election.
GOP lawmakers were quick to denounce the veto Monday, with some pledging to attempt an override during the veto session in September.
Sponsor Sen. Brian Munzlinger, a Williamstown Republican, said he’s pushing for lawmakers to override Nixon’s veto.
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“The General Assembly should override his veto to ensure all law-abiding Missourians have the right to protect themselves”, said Hannaway.
