This afternoon, Missouri @momsdemand.bsky.social volunteers are headed back to our capitol for a hearing on two very extremist gun bills in the Senate Committee on Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety. The Senate audio stream will begin at 2PM and we'll share a thread here. #moleg
Our first focus: SB 74, a bill designed to undermine the local control of public safety. Several of our St. Louis Moms Demand volunteers are traveling to Jeff City--speaking for those most directly impacted by SB74. Sponsor (Sen. Hudson SD 33) represents rural Stone County, SE of Springfield. We're in our seats and a little late with the #moleg hearing getting underway while a fire alarm blares (and no one appears to think it's an actual emergency?).
Going into executive session, the committee begins discussion of SB 77, a measure that will force hidden, loaded guns onto public transportation. The bill was presented last week to this committee: skywriter.blue The vote to advance SB77 out of committee is 4 -1. #moleg
skywriter.blue
Going into the hearing, they begin with a measure by Sen. Angela Mosley, SB41, the Christian Taylor Ferguson Act, on medical alert systems that would be developed specifically to serve children (like an Amber Alert system). #moleg senate.mo.gov
www.senate.mo.gov
There is no livestreamed video in the Senate, but anyone can listen into the Senate Committee hearing's session, here: chamber.senate.mo.gov #moleg
chamber.senate.mo.gov
Sen. Brad Hudson (SD 33) begins his presentation of his bill to weaken Missouri's current preemption law, making it impossible for local communities to enact measures that they currently use to keep their citizens safe. The 2nd Amendment rights of Missourians, he says, are fundamental. #moleg First in support, not surprisingly, is the lobbyist for the Missouri Firearms Coalition, Aaron Dorr. He says Jackson County has made problems by not allowing those under 21 to openly carry assault rifles and other firearms. #moleg
Continuing with testimony in support, the committee hears from additional lobbyists, including Susan Meyers in support of preempting local public safety laws. First in opposition, the spokesperson for the city of Kansas City. It's one of the few tools we have in KC, to keep people safe and feel comfortable in our community, he says. Open carry definitely intimidates and makes people feel nervous he says. #moleg In opposition, a longtime St. Louis volunteer with Missouri @momsdemand.bsky.social speaks against the undermining of local control of public safety, in SB 74. It interferes with autonomy of local governments who best know the safety needs for their own area. #moleg
Missouri already has the 4th highest rate of gun violence in the US. Guns are the leading cause of death for children in MO, ages 1-19; 26% are suicide, 65% are homicide. Missouri has few foundational gun safety laws; our gun laws are considered a “national failure“ by Everytown for Gun Safety. In 2023, St. Louis City passed a law preventing open carry for those under 19, mostly because of many teenagers in STL displaying weapons. This was provoking to other gun-carrying teens–and terrifying to visitors. Violators now face a $500 fine and 30 days in jail. SB 74 prohibits such legislation. No other witnesses speak on SB74. Next, Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman presents her extreme gun bill, SB 147, which she describes as an "omnibus" bill. (Which holds up. The bill is 75 pages long.) What doesn't it cover. At its base, expands Stand Your Ground law, also known as Shoot First law. She says, as she's in her 7th year in the legislature, this bill represents her wish list, or "gun law according to Mary Elizabeth Coleman" (which is quite a thing to say). #moleg The chair interrupts her in the middle of page 1 of a 4-page summary of SB 147. #moleg The first to speak in support of the bill is, again, Susan Meyers, a long-time gun lobbyist. She cites the section of the bill that relates to forcing employers to allow people to carry hidden, loaded firearms into whatever workplaces they're in. In opposition, first is a captain who works with the Jefferson County Sheriffs office, who speaks to the additional burdens of this bill on law enforcement. A spokesperson for the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys testifies next in opposition--they are pro 2A but SB147 protects shooters He describes it as an effort to make murder legal. (In years past, when versions of this bill have been heard in #moleg, it's been dubbed the Make Murder Legal Act by law enforcement. Next in opposition, Sharon Jones on behalf of the Missouri NAACP. In a time where we regularly see Black and brown citizens shot and killed while going about their business, these are scary times. We need not make them scarier by limiting what law enforcement can do while investigating shootings. MO Chamber of Commerce speaks next in opposition to sections of this omnibus bill. We must let businesses decide when it comes to their internal policies--this is what makes Missouri competitive and business friendly. It invites the "heavy hand of government" into policies of private businesses. For informational purposes, the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys returns to testify again. Local jails may lose contracts with federal authorities when they are forced to allow firearms per this bill. #moleg The relatively quick hearing on the Coleman omnibus bill (with most all her colleagues on the committee out of the room) seemed—my amateur assessment—very meh. Even the Mo Firearms Coalition’s lobbyist walked out before it even began. @unroll.skywriter.blue unroll